By Your Side
by neffititi
Summary: - " We all have to make choices." - " I choose to fight, by your side." Set after 3x13. Valkubus. Rated M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story takes place after 3x13. It may contain some Doccubus, since Bo is still in love with Lauren in the show. My idea is that I want to take a different angle on how the story will go after 3x13, comparing to ****_Whatever It Takes, _****where the gang will face different problems and stuff. Of course, Bo's father and his agenda will still be the major plot.**

**Read and enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the series. I don't profit from it either. If I did own it, there would be a shit ton of Valkubus in the show.**

* * *

Chapter 1

Bo thought it was drizzling, but she realized it was just the strong wind carrying mists from the ocean. She was standing on the edge of the sea cliff, watching the ocean waves hitting the rocks hundreds of feet under her. The water crashed on the rocks, breaking into pure white foam, like piles of snow. For a while, the only thing Bo could hear was the waves, as loud as summer thunders. One thing she noticed was the water of the ocean, instead of blue or green, the water was dark, almost black.

Bo could see the horizon far away from her, but other than the water and the rocks, she couldn't see anything else, or anyone else.

Bo raised her head. She narrowed her eyes as she was looking at the sky. The sky was covered by dark gray clouds, and they were swirling in the wind. She felt like it was about to rain, but other than the mists, she felt nothing.

" Storm's coming." A voice came from behind. It sounded calm, almost indifferent.

Bo turned around. She saw a man standing in front of her. He was about six feet tall, with brown eyes and chestnut hair. His hair covered more than half of his forehead, and one of his eyes. He was holding a walking stick in his right hand, with his body tilted a little to the side, as if one of his legs needed rest. He was staring at Bo.

" You!" Bo suddenly recognized him. He looked exactly like the man drawn on the wanderer card, which she had seen more than once before. " You're the man in the card!"

The man nodded, a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

" Who are you? What do you want from me? Where am I?" Questions just burst out from Bo's throat. She could hear her own voice shaking in the strong wind.

" I am your father, Isabeau." The man said, " You may find my name familiar. I'm Odin, but really, don't picture me as the man in the mythology you've read about." Odin walked closer. " The storm is coming, Bo." He said.

" So? Find somewhere to hide."

" No, we can't. We have to fight it, or it will tear us apart."

" Huh?" Bo was confused, " Are we still talking about the storm? Wait, what do you want from me, and where am I?"

" You are on an island. I brought you here, remember?"

Bo frowned. She remembered that she went to the Dal, looking for Trick and Kenzi, but no one was there. Then she picked up the wanderer card from the floor. After that, a black smoke surrounded her. " You brought me here using the black smoke?"

" The black smoke found you, because you were marked by the rune glass."

" I thought the rune glass didn't work." Bo said. She remembered that Tamsin accused her of not trusting and loving as she thought.

" The Valkyrie thought it was for taming you. It's for tagging you, really."

" Great. Why am I here? Because you suddenly want to make up for your absence from my life, or because you want something from me?"

" No, because it's the time." Odin said. He tilted his head to look at the sky, as if he was trying to determine when the rain was going to fall.

" Time for what?"

Odin smiled. He didn't answer Bo's question, instead, he said, " It's good to see you, Bo. You were such a tiny baby the last time I saw you."

" Yeah... I'm really not ready for the father-daughter talk yet..."

" The storm is coming." Odin said that for the third time. He inhaled and leaned closer. He put the walking stick in his left hand, and reached his right hand out. Before Bo could react, he laid his palm on Bo's forehead.

His palm was warm, almost hot. Bo was startled. She didn't know what he wanted to do.

" Be prepared, Bo. We will see each other again, soon." Odin said.

Bo wanted to say something, but before she could, she felt a strong push on her forehead, or on her body. In fact, she couldn't tell what it was, or how she was pushed. It felt like suddenly her soul had been pushed out from her body.

Bo's brain blanked for a few seconds. Then she realized that she was sitting on the floor in the Dal.

Bo gasped hard with her eyes wide open. She pinched herself couple of times, just to make sure she was not hallucinating. She looked around, and made sure she was in fact in the Dal. She could still see the glass shards shattered on the floor, with other explosive residuals.

" Trick! Kenzi! Kenzi! Anyone?!" Bo yelled, but other than the echoes of her own voice, she heard nothing.

Bo stood up. She felt exhausted. Then she started to think about the conversation she had with her father, or at least he claimed that he was her father.

Her father. Odin. Bo couldn't believe what she had just heard. She was no expert of Norse myths, but she still knew Odin was the major God in Norse myths, and now someone told her he was Odin, and he was her father?

Bo shook her head. She decided that it was not the time to think about this. She took her phone out and called Kenzi.

"Oh my God! Holy shit! Is it really you, Bo-Bo?!" Kenzi exclaimed at the other side of the phone.

" Yeah, it's really me. Are you ok? You sound like you are ok!" Bo was happy to hear Kenzi's voice. " Is the Morrigan giving you a hard time?"

" No. I escaped." Kenzi said, " Where are you? Bruce and I were looking for you like everywhere, dude! We went to the crazy science man's compound. Bunch of gunman there, and Bruce took care of them. Then the cops came over."

" Yeah. Long story... I'm in the Dal right now. Did you see Lauren? Dyson? Tamsin? Anyone?"

" Yeah...about that... I didn't see Lauren. D-man is in the hospital now. He was injured pretty badly but he's fine."

" Where is Tamsin?"

" She is...emmm... in the hospital too... She's been unconscious since we brought her in..."

" What?! What happened?" Bo felt a sudden pain running through her body, when she heard that Tamsin was unconscious.

" I don't know. We found detective bitchiness's truck under a cliff not far from the compound. We dragged them both out. Maybe you could come over to the hospital?"

" Yeah. I'm on my way."

* * *

Bo saw Kenzi waiting for her at the entrance of the hospital with a big guy beside her.

" Bruce, Bo. Bo, Bruce." Kenzi introduced them, with her head lowered and her eyes glued to her cell phone.

" Have we met?" Bo narrowed her eyes, looking at Bruce. " I thought you were with the Morrigan."

" Not anymore." Bruce said in a low voice. " I'm with Kenzi now. The Morrigan just declared her as an enemy of the realm. I can't leave her out of my sight."

" Ok, good for you. Where is Dyson and Tamsin?"

" Come with me." Kenzi grabbed her hand and almost dragged her in.

Bo felt that everything seemed so unreal, when she was standing in the elevator. She wanted to ask some questions, or discuss something, or just talk to someone, but she couldn't find any words. She just watched the number on the screen changing as they rose from floor to floor.

Finally the elevator stopped. Bo followed Kenzi to a room in the inpatient area. Dyson was lying on the raised bed, talking to a few of his colleagues. Seeing Bo coming in, he was excited. " Hey." He waved to Bo. Bo noticed that there were gauze and pads all over his body.

" Hey yourself." Bo walked to him.

" Emm... Bruce and I are going to grab something to eat, do you two need anything?" Kenzi asked.

" I'm fine." Bo said.

Dyson nodded to his colleagues and said, " Could you guys excuse us for a minute?"

His colleagues nodded to him, and Bo. Then they walked out with the door closed behind them.

" What happened?" Bo asked Dyson as she sat down beside him on the bed.

" Honestly, I'm not that so sure. I killed Taft. Then Tamsin came to pick me up. We were in her truck. Then suddenly there was this song playing on the radio, out of nowhere. Something I heard during your dawning, some wanderer stuff... Then there was a man in front of the truck. Tamsin sped up, trying to hit him with the truck. She said he was your father... If I remember it correctly."

" What did he look like?" Bo asked.

" I don't know. I didn't see his face. He was wearing a dark suit, with a walking stick in his hand... Where have you been?"

"I... I'll tell you later I guess." Bo said, " Are you ok? Do you feel ok?"

" I'll be fine." Dyson smiled.

" Have you seen Lauren?"

" Not since I left the compound." Dyson looked at Bo. He could see the worry look in her eyes. " We'll find her, ok?" He said.

Bo nodded. " Where's Tamsin?"

" I'll ask the nurse to take you to her." Dyson pressed the call button.

* * *

Bo stood at the door, looking at the blonde lying on the bed. Her eyes were closed, and her face was pale. Her hair locks spread all over the pillow. If it was not for the beeping noises from the machines, Bo couldn't tell if she was still alive.

Bo walked closer and sat down. She held Tamsin's hand in hers. The cold feel on her hand scared her. She slowly reached her other hand out, gently caressing Tamsin's face. She almost touched her neck to feel her pulse, just to make sure she was still alive.

Bo could see all the bruises and contusions on her arms and her shoulder. She also saw the injuries on her forehead. She knew her body was probably wrapped in gauze pads under the blanket. Bo wanted to check, but she didn't lift the blanket up.

A nurse came in, telling Bo that visiting hours were over. Bo didn't want to leave, so she charmed the nurse and the nurse just left.

Bo pulled her chair closer to the bed. She curled up in the chair. She felt exhausted. She desperately needed answers. She had tons of things to take care of. But at this moment, all she could think about was the blonde in front of her.

She held the Valkyrie's hand firmly in hers, feeling it slowly warming up. She could feel the weak pulse of hers, and she moved herself closer, as though the blonde would just disappear if she didn't stay with her closely.

Bo fell asleep in the chair, with the blonde's hand in hers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

" You failed me!" Odin's voice was roaring in anger. He was facing away from Tamsin, with one of his hand behind his back, the other holding his walking stick.

" Well, you told me to use the rune glass on the succubus, and I did. I didn't make that thing, maybe it was a flawed product." Tamsin tried as hard she could to sound indifferent.

" Don't bullshit me." Odin's voice turned lower, and calm, like the sudden silent right before the thunder storm. " You should have brought her to me long time ago."

" What can I say? Did you really expect that a dying Valkyrie could bring you the succubus during the first try?"

Odin turned around. Anger was burning in his eye. Suddenly Tamsin felt his hand gripping her neck, suffocating her. " I could crush you right here, right now. It would not be so different from crushing a human, or a cockroach."

" Then do it! I'm so done with your empty threats, your tricks and your bullshit!" Tamsin squeezed the words out from her throat, with her eyes staring at him.

" Pity, I'm not done using you yet." Odin let her go. Tamsin crashed on the floor, gasping for air. " I need you to do one last thing for me, then all your betrayal will be forgiven." He said.

" You are a lot of things, but, forgiving is not one of them. I am not going to hurt her, no matter what you say, what you do."

" Tisk, tisk." Odin smiled. He was staring at Tamsin with a cold look on his face, as if his smile was just an illusion. " All you Valkyries think of are killing and fighting. It seems that you never understand the big picture here."

" Whatever it is, I'm not interested. Either you kill me now or let me go."

" We'll see each other again, soon." Odin laughed. His laughter hummed in the air, in a very unpleasant way. He reached his hand out and laid it on Tamsin's forehead. Like being hit by a hammer, Tamsin felt herself getting pushed away.

Like falling from somewhere really high, Tamsin reached her hands out, trying to grasp something. She opened her eyes, and panted. She could feel the sweat running down her face and her body. She could feel herself shaking.

Then she felt a warm, soft hand moving on her face. She saw Bo's face, just inches away from hers, with a caring, worrying look on it. She could tell the succubus was relieved when she saw her wake up.

Tamsin closed her eyes and lied back to the bed again. It was then she started to feel the pain all over her body, as if every inch of her had been crushed. She tried to move, but she couldn't." Shit!" She cursed in frustration, trying to fight it.

" Hey, stay still." Bo said, " You need to rest."

" What I need is a bottle of vodka..."

" Ya, try something else, 'cause you may actually get it." Bo rolled her eyes at the Valkyrie.

" Why are you here?" Tamsin turned her head to Bo, frowning.

" Just want to make sure you are ok, and Dyson."

" How's the wolf?"

" In much better shape than you." Bo said, " Just rest. I'll come back later. I need to go find Lauren."

" Of course you do." Tamsin murmured. She curled up in the bed, with her eyes closed again.

* * *

After leaving the hospital, Bo went to Lauren's apartment, hoping that she could find Lauren there, but no one was there. No one had been there since her last visit either.

Bo leaned against the wall and sighed in frustration. She couldn't help thinking about the last encounter she had with Lauren. It was pure surprising, sad and weird. She couldn't tell whether Lauren meant what she said, or she was just trying to fool the mad scientist.

_Bo, I can't save you both, just like you can't love us both. _This line tore Bo's heart like a sharp blade. She wanted to apologize to Lauren, or maybe explain to her that she didn't love Dyson the same way she did before, or just hold her in her arms till the doctor calmed down and agreed to listen to her again. But seeing Lauren in front of her that day, she just couldn't move.

Bo looked at the stuff in Lauren's apartment. Everything was exactly as she remembered. For a moment, she almost thought Lauren was still there and she would walk down from the second floor at any time, like everything happened after their break was just nothing but a bad dream.

But Bo knew, Lauren was gone. She didn't know where she was, and she couldn't contact her either, because Lauren decided to leave. She even left the pendent of the Ash behind.

That thought hurt her more than anything else. Desperation filled Bo's heart. She closed her eyes and sighed again.

After a while, Bo decided to call Hale. Hale told Bo Trick was with Stella in Scotland right now.

" Do you have any news on Lauren?" Bo asked.

" No. Not yet. She was last spotted with Isaac's men. We've already searched the compound, but didn't find anything that could lead to her. We'll find her, before the Morrigan does."

" What are you going to do with her when we find her?"

" I don't know. It's not up to me anymore. Things are getting out of control between the light and the dark now. Tell Kenzi to be careful. The Morrigan might not be a threat right this minute, but her minions are probably still hunting Kenzi."

" She'll be fine. She has a bodyguard now." Bo said, " But I will keep an eye on her."

" You be careful too. You are probably not favored by the Morrigan's men right now either."

" Yeah, yeah, I know. She wanted me so bad."

" Anyway, I have to go now. We'll be in touch."

* * *

Bo went home. She wanted to have some drinks, but she had nowhere to go. With Trick gone, the Dal was closed. She had the keys to that place, but she didn't feel like drinking by herself tonight.

It was already passed midnight when she got home. She turned on the lights, and surprised someone in the kitchen.

" Tamsin!" Bo exclaimed when she realized who that person was. " Why the hell are you here? I thought you were in the hospital!"

" I was. Then I left." Tamsin tilted her head, with her nose scrunched. Bo noticed that she had a bottle of vodka in her hand, and that bottle was already half empty.

" Hey!" Bo grabbed the bottle and pulled it out from Tamsin's hand. Tamsin rolled her eyes, walking to the living room. The Valkyrie tripped. Bo reached out to grab her but she lost balance too. Both of them fell on the couch.

" Anyone ever told you that you are a pain in the ass?" Bo said. She tried to get up, but with Tamsin on top of her, she couldn't. Things suddenly felt awkward when she realized that the Valkyrie's face was only inches away from hers.

Tamsin stared at her, half conscious, half drunk. Bo could see the sadness and the pain floating in her eyes. It was a look of desperation, and she had seen that look before, that day when they were both in the bathtub. It felt like the Valkyrie wanted something, but she just knew she couldn't have it.

" Get off me, Tamsin." Bo whispered to her. She couldn't handle being this close to the Valkyrie, because she didn't know what to do. Just like that day when they were both in the bathtub, she had no idea what to do but freeze where she was. She had her hands on Tamsin's waist when they fell, but now she felt the warmth coming from the Valkyrie burn her like flames.

Tamsin chuckled. She leaned over and pressed her lips on Bo's lightly. She pulled herself away before Bo could react. " Everyone's favorite succubus..." She murmured, " I've tasted better..."

Bo had not yet recovered from the shock the sudden kiss the Valkyrie had given her. She just pulled herself up on the couch to sit straight, with her eyes wide open.

The blonde rolled off her. She lied down on the couch too, with her eyes closed. She sighed and laid one of her hand on her own forehead.

Bo sat on the other end of the couch. She couldn't think straight. She tried to get the kiss off her mind, but somehow it reminded her of the kiss they had shared in Brazenwood, and it stirred her mind even more. Neither of them said anything for a while, till Tamsin finally broke the silence. " So, what now?" She asked, suddenly she sounded sober.

" Honestly, I don't know. I don't even know what happened. I guess I've met my father, and the only thing he told me is that a storm is coming, and we'll see each other again." Bo said.

" Sounds like him." Tamsin shook her head.

" Do you know what he's up to?" Bo asked.

" Do I look like I know?"

" Well, I guess we'll figure it out together then."

" There is no _we_."

" Oh, don't give me that crap. From now on, we fight together." Bo said, " Likey or not."

Tamsin smiled bitterly. She turned her head away to avoid eye contact with the succubus. The pain over her body started to come back again. She inhaled and bit her lips to stop the moans.

Bo noticed that too. She hesitated for a while. Then she laid her fingers on the blonde's arm, sending out her charms. She saw the blonde's burrowing eyebrows relieved, and she was not biting her lips anymore.

" If you are trying to charm me to bed, you are gonna have to try harder..." Tamsin murmured.

" Oh, shut up and rest." Bo said, " We got a shit ton of crap to deal with, but you have to recover first."

Tamsin let out a deep breath and closed her eyes again. The charms the succubus passed through gave her a warm, tickling sensation, masking the pain. She had been charmed by other faes before, but none of them had given her such a relaxing feeling like she had right now. She didn't want to admit it, but with the succubus next to her and her hands on her, she felt safe, and warm.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bo watched the blonde for a while. She still didn't have any idea about what to do with her. Things that had happened between them flashed through her mind. They hated each other like enemies, but at the same time they helped each other. Then the blonde kissed her, a kiss she still couldn't figure out why it happened or what it was for even till now. Then the blonde was drunk and was in her tub. She said something to her, something that Bo never expected to hear from her. She called her perfect, with a sad, desperate look in her blue eyes. Then she helped her again. Then she wanted to take her away. They had a huge fight, with a lot of head banging, kicking and slapping. Then they called truce.

Truce. That word somehow comforted Bo. She didn't want to fight her, and she knew the Valkyrie didn't either. She remembered that she told her to fight. Yeah, fight, that was the only thing they could do right now. Fight.

The sound of the door opening pulled Bo back from her thoughts. She instinctively pulled her dagger out and stood up. When she saw Kenzi walking through the door, she sighed with a relief.

Kenzi froze when she saw Tamsin lying on the couch. " Yo! Bo-Bo..." She lowered her voice and called Bo, " What's she doing here? I thought she was in the hospital! And she was trying to hurt you!"

" She ran out to steal our liquor..."

" What!" Kenzi inhaled, " Oh, that's even worse than she was trying to hurt you! "

" She's injured. She needs help. And we've solved the trying-to-hurt-me part already. Relax, ok?"

" You sure? I mean, she was trying to put you in jail since like...forever. And she had that vial, which is supposed to be used against you or something." Kenzi looked at Bo, worried.

" Yeah. I am sure. We'll deal with these issues later. I was thinking-" Bo was interrupted by the sudden loud banging on the door. Before they could react, three men walked in. They all looked muscular, big and hostile.

" Oh, shit!" Bo said. She pulled her dagger out in her hand, preparing to fight.

" The Morrigan wants you, and the human. Come with us, and we won't hurt you." One of them said. He looked like their leader.

" Yeah, that's not something you want to say if you want to take a girl home successfully." Bo said.

" Then we'll do it the hard way." The leader clicked his fingers. The other two men rushed to Bo and Kenzi, trying to grab them. Bo quickly jerked to the side and dodged his attack. They fought for a while, then Bo finally managed to knock him out by giving him a hard blow on the back of his head.

Bo turned around, and saw the other guy chasing Kenzi. She wanted to help but she was too far away. The man tried to punch Kenzi, but strangely, he smashed his fist on the wall instead. Kenzi grabbed a frying pan and hit his head with it. The man rolled his eyes back and crashed on the floor.

Bo wanted to say something, but she felt a sudden grip from behind. The leader grabbed her, choking her by tightening his arm around her neck. Bo struggled, but she could hardly breathe. She thought she was about to pass out, but suddenly the man let go of her, screaming in pain. She turned around, and saw a dagger sticking out of the man's shoulder. Then she saw Tamsin sitting up on the couch, gasping, with her right hand still in the air, as if she had just thrown something out.

" Thanks. I guess I owe you one." Bo said.

" You fucking owe me a lot!" Tamsin said. She lied back onto the couch. Throwing the dagger had made her wounds hurt.

Bo stared at the man, who was lying on the floor screaming. " Still want to bring us back?"

Fear appeared on the man's face. " Someone else will be coming for you, and your human." He said in pain. Then he struggled to pull himself from the floor. He spit on the floor, before he left.

" We've got to go to someplace safe." Bo said, " We can't stay here if they keep coming. We need to go to the Dal and declare sanctuary."

" But Trick is not here." Kenzi said.

" As his descendant I can declare sanctuary too." Bo said, " Come on, let's go."

* * *

The was no one at the Dal. It was a total mess in the bar, but they didn't have time to clean it, nor were they in the mood. Bo helped Tamsin to go downstairs and rest on the couch. Tamsin closed her eyes after a while of boredom.

" How did the dude hit the wall instead of you back there?" Bo was still confused.

" Probably because Hale gave me a protection branch thingy. It can protect the wearer from all evil deeds."

" Great. Try not to lose that." Bo said.

" Yo, Bo-Bo, are we all gonna be ok?" Kenzi sat beside Bo on the floor. They both leaned back against the couch and sighed.

" Yeah. We'll deal with all the crap we have right now. And I need to find Lauren." Bo said, " I need to figure out the shit with my father too."

" Yeah." Kenzi sighed. " Well, Kenzi is going to get some sleep..." The Russian girl said. She yawned and went to lie down on the recliner at the other side of the room. " Night, bestie." She murmured.

Bo smiled. She turned around to look at Tamsin, who was already asleep. Even in her dreams, her eyebrows were still frowning in pain. Bo took a deep breath, and grabbed her hand. She gently sent out some charms to the Valkyrie, easing her pain. The blonde moaned vaguely, and pulled herself closer to Bo in her dreams. Bo moved up to sit on the couch, and laid Tamsin's head on her lap. Tamsin rubbed her face against her lap, trying to bury herself closer. Bo's heart ached when she saw that. She pulled Tamsin's hand closer and laid a light kiss on her fingers. Strangely, when the Valkyrie was unconscious and vulnerable, all Bo could think of was to comfort her and to protect her.

She heard Tamsin breathing steadily, and Kenzi rolling over on the recliner with some murmur in her dream. She felt relaxed. Although she knew there were tons of shit she needed to take care of, and she didn't know how or why, at this moment she still felt relaxed. Soon she dwelt in dreams too.

* * *

The ringing phone woke Bo up. She saw the bright sunlight shine through the only window in Trick's den, and narrowed her eyes because it was just too bright. Then she realized that it was almost noon.

Kenzi was still on the recliner, sleeping. Bo checked the blonde on her lap. She was sleeping too, and it looked like her pain had eased because Bo noticed that she was not frowning anymore. Bo felt relieved. She picked up her phone. It was Hale.

" Where are you?" Hale asked. He sounded a little worried.

" We are in the Dal. Me, Kenzi and Tamsin."

" Oh ok. I was worried. I sent some of my men to your place, and they told me they only found two men from the Morrigan, lying unconscious there."

" Yeah. They were trying to take us with them, so we came to the Dal. I declared sanctuary."

" Good. At least you all will be safe, for now." Hale said, " Listen, we need to talk. "

" Ok..." Bo said. She felt that the thing Hale needed to talk about was important.

" I can't really talk about this on the phone, so I guess I'll be in the Dal in thirty minutes."

Bo hung up her phone. The things that had happened for the past few days still seemed so unreal to her, but she knew she had to deal with it. She sat there, thinking about things for a while with her head pressed against the couch. Then she felt the Valkyrie moved.

" Where the fuck am I?" Tamsin moaned and murmured. She raised her head to look around.

" The Dal. It's safer here."

" It's safer if I stay the fuck away from you." Tamsin sat up and leaned back.

" Well, likey or not, you are stuck with us for now."

" Then I'm definitely gonna need a drink." Tamsin stood up and grabbed the whiskey bottle on the side table. She poured herself a shot, and sighed.

" What is it with you and alcohol?" Bo grabbed the bottle from the blonde's hand and put it back. " We need you to be sober right now. We don't know what we are dealing with here yet."

" Whatever." Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo. She lied down on the couch again, with her hand still pressing on her stomach. Bo noticed that. She lightly laid her hand on Tamsin's stomach, giving her some charms.

" Still not giving up, huh?" Tamsin smirked.

" Yeah, I'm just this close to getting your pants off. How can I stop right now?" Bo retorted.

" Who's gonna get whose pants off?!" Kenzi suddenly yelled and jumped up from the recliner, with a confused look on her face. Bo retracted her hand, as if she was burnt. Both Tamsin and her felt a little bit embarrassed of being this close in front of Kenzi.

" No one is getting anyone's pants off right now." Bo said, " Hale is coming."

Kenzi raised her eyebrows. Then they all saw Hale appear at the door, together with two of his body guards.

" Speaking of the devil..." Kenzi murmured. She felt a little awkward to see Hale, after their kiss and talk. She tried not to make eye contact with Hale, but when she peaked at him, she found out that he was peaking at her too. Kenzi cleared her throat and looked away.

" Glad to see you all ok and well." Hale sat down on the chair. His body guards checked the room. Then they left and closed the door behind them.

Tamsin shook her head. She poured herself a drink and downed it. Bo stared at her. Tamsin stared back. " Treatment for light fae allergy." Tamsin said.

Bo sighed. She turned back to Hale. " So what's the emergency?" She asked.

" It's about Lauren." Hale handed Bo a file folder, " I thought you would like to see this."

Bo was confused. She opened the folder and started to read. At first she couldn't even figure out what it was about. Then she felt confused, shocked, and a little bit angry. " Wanted by Interpol?" Bo said as she read through the files, " Lauren is wanted by the Interpol? And her real name is Karen Beattie?!"

" Wow, you never know." Tamsin smirked.

Bo rolled her eyes at her. Then she turned back to Hale and said, " This is some sort of joke right, Hale?"

" I wish I could tell you yes, but no. I was not aware of this until this morning. I found it in the old Ash's archive files. At first I thought it was some framing job, so the old Ash could control Lauren. But I did a little digging, it turned out to be true. Lauren's real name is Karen Beattie. She was wanted for some anti-government, anti-military activities. That was why she went to Congo and accepted the job from the old Ash."

" I thought she accepted the job because she thought they could save Nadia."

" That too. But she wouldn't have taken that job if she didn't have anywhere to go."

" What-how-" Bo couldn't even speak out a complete sentence. The news was just too overwhelming. She never thought Lauren had such a big secret, nor did she think the doctor would keep it from her like this. Then suddenly something occurred to her. Lauren said something to her in Taft's compound. _Do you know that my name isn't even Lauren?_ Bo frowned. At that time she thought it was something Lauren said randomly to convince Taft that she was on his side, but right now, seeing the files in her hand, Bo started to believe that what Lauren said was true.

" Bo, I believe Lauren is in great danger now." Hale said, " The Morrigan has already declared humans as terrorists, and thanks to her, all the elders know that it was Lauren who helped kidnap Dyson. Whether she was forced or not, they are going to pin that on her. And now I found this, which means the humans are hunting her down right now as well."

" Yeah, I know." Bo raised her eyebrows with her eyes wide open, " But I don't know where they took her. I don't even know if she wants to come back."

" She has to. We need to find her before the others do." Hale said, " Things between the light and the dark are pretty intense right now. We can't afford any surprises. We are trying everything we can to avoid any bloodshed."

" Great. So what do we do now?" Bo asked.

" I need you to find Lauren right now. The situation is just too delicate for me to do it myself."

" I don't even know where to start. Shit! I should never have let her go. I should have dragged her out from the compound, even if she begged me not to." Bo said in frustration. She paused for a while, then continued, " What are you going to do with her, when we find her?"

" I don't know. I'll try my best to protect her, but like I said, it's far beyond my control now. Even if I was still the acting Ash, I couldn't have had control over the clan elders, not to mention that the Morrigan forced me to step down."

" Are you gonna be ok?" Bo asked.

" I'll be fine. There are things that I am pursuing right now, and hopefully it will work. Hey, if things don't work out, I could always open a private investigation firm." Hale smiled.

Bo sighed. " I guess I could start with Taft's compound, see if I can find anything useful there."

" Keep me posted." Hale said, " I need to go now. Got something else to take care of." He stood up and put his hat on. Bo stopped him. " Wait, you said Trick went to Scotland?"

" Yeah. He's the blood king. He can't be dragged into this mess right now. It's just too dangerous for him, and everyone else. I'll let him know that you are safe. I can guarantee you that he's safe, but it's better for everyone that he stays out of sight right now."

" Ok. Then I'll deal with the Lauren situation first." Bo said.

" Oh, I've arranged a safe house for you...three. I'll send someone to drive you there later." Hale looked around. For a second or two he was not sure if he should include Tamsin in, but he thought he should. Then he said, "I have to go now."

" Ok." Bo said.

Hale smiled and nodded to her. He paused at the door for a while, as if he was not sure if he should do something. Then he walked to Kenzi. With Bo and Tamsin staring at them, Hale took Kenzi's hand in his. Then he laid a kiss on Kenzi's forehead. " I'm glad that you are safe, girl." He said.

Kenzi was startled, and a little bit embarrassed. Bo opened her eyes wide and looked away. Tamsin stared at them with a smirk on her face and a drink in her hand. Hale could feel the stare on his back, but he couldn't care less. " Lay low, and stay out of trouble." Hale said to Kenzi, " And always, always keep that twig on you."

Kenzi nodded. She wanted to say something, but she just couldn't. Hale put her hair back to her shoulder and said goodbye to her. Then he left.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After settling down at the safe house Hale arranged for them, Bo decided to go to Taft's compound with Kenzi. Kenzi called Bruce to go with them.

Tamsin was lying on the couch and Bo took a glance at her right before they left. The blonde was looking at her too. Bo wanted to say something to her, or just tell her that they would be back soon, but it just felt too intimate, especially in front of Kenzi, so she just smiled to the Valkyrie and closed the door.

* * *

" I've been wanting to ask you since yesterday, Kenz... where did you get this car?" Bo asked as she got in the car. Bruce was holding the door for her.

" From the Morrigan bitch." Kenzi said, " This baby needed a new mama." She laughed and hit the gas pedal hard.

Half an hour later, they were at the Taft's compound. The whole facility looked empty. They could see the tapes and marks left by the fae police when they swept the scene. Tire tracks were everywhere around the facility, but the parking places were empty.

They walked in cautiously. Bo had her dagger in her hand. Bruce walked in front of them.

No one was inside. The lights were still on, making slight buzzing noises. Rooms were emptied, with trash and other things scattered everywhere. They could still see the blood in the fighting cages and the prison cells, but all the prisoners were gone too.

Bo walked into the labs. There were still books opened on the tables, with unfinished charts and diagrams on the clip boards, as if whoever worked here had just left for lunch and they would come back soon.

On one of the tables, Bo saw Lauren's hand writing. She took a deep breath and looked at it. It was some lab report Lauren was working on, filled with things Bo could hardly pronounce.

Bo looked through everything, trying to find something that could tell her where Lauren was right now, but she found nothing.

Bo sighed. She walked to Taft's library, where she last saw Lauren. Kenzi and Bruce followed her.

The library was empty. Bo remembered Dyson killing some Taft's guard there, but the body was gone too. She didn't know if Taft's men took it, or the police had it now, but it was not something she could focus on right now.

Bo opened the drawers of the desk to check for clues. Then she noticed something. One of the drawers was slightly shorter than the others. Bo knocked on the back side of it, and found out a secret compartment. Bo pried it open with her dagger and found a piece of paper inside.

Bo looked at the paper. It was some sort of diagram, or picture drawn on it. Bo thought it was a map, but she couldn't relate it to any place she knew. The only thing drawn on the paper was a few irregular contours, and five red circles, as if whoever drew it was trying to mark some places on it.

* * *

It was already pretty late when they had finished searching the place. They found nothing, other than the piece of paper.

Bo decided to go back to the safe house, because they ran out of places to go to. Kenzi went to take a shower immediately after they got back. Bruce made sure everything was ok, then he left.

Tamsin was still on the couch, but judging by the bottle of vodka she had on her side of the floor, Bo knew she got up and somehow managed to get herself something to drink.

" What?" Tamsin frowned at her, when she realized Bo was staring at her.

Bo shook her head. " Time for changing your gauze pads." Bo took out a first aid kit from the cabinet and sat down beside Tamsin.

" You just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" Tamsin said. She watched the brunette slowly lifting her shirt up and taking off the old pads. She felt the succubus' fingers brushing across her skin, giving her a warm, tickling feeling. Then she felt the brunette stop. She frowned, raising herself a little to check out what was going on.

Bo was staring at the bullet wound on her lower right abdomen. She ran her fingers slowly on the pink scar, as if she was afraid that she would hurt her.

" Why did you take that bullet for me?" Bo said, " That reminds me I haven't really thanked you for that yet."

" No need." Tamsin smirked, " I saved you just so I could bring you in. To complete my mission, remember?"

" Yeah, vividly, dead woman." Bo teased her. Tamsin smiled when she heard that, but a hint of sorrow flashed through her eyes.

" Well, I guess my mission was accomplished, although I thought things would be a lot more dramatic after that."

" So, my father asked you to bring me to him?"

" More like commanded me. I'm a Valkyrie, remember? Valkyries are like Odin's bitches." Tamsin said.

" What's my father like?" Bo said, " He seemed... normal to me, when I met him, although, I can't say that I like him."

" Don't get fooled by his look, or his small talk. He knows well how to manipulate people."

" Did he manipulate you to bring me in?" Bo asked as she rubbed some alcohol on Tamsin's forehead. She noticed that the Valkyrie healed fast, not as fast as she could if she fed, but the cut on her forehead was almost gone.

" I do as he commands. His bitch, remember?"

" What's he up to?"

" I don't know. I thought he wanted you as he wanted all other warriors whom we brought to Valhalla, but I don't think he wants you dead right now, because if he did, you would have already died." Tamsin said, " Anyway, he'll come around. You better find your girlfriend fast. The fae leaders aren't gonna be kind to her, if they find her first."

" Yeah I know." Bo said, " Do you want to take a shower before I put new pads on you?"

" Are you inviting me?"

Bo rolled her eyes at her. Tamsin stood up. She looked like she was in a lot better shape now. " I guess I could use a shower. I smell like a hospital." She said.

" Actually, you smell like a vodka possessed hospital." Bo said. The Valkyrie didn't reply. She walked into the shower and closed the door.

Bo heard the water running. She somehow felt relieved. She leaned back against the couch and let out a deep breath.

A while later, the Valkyrie walked out with a towel on her. Water dripped from her hair to the floor. " Patch me up?" She asked, taking the towel off her as she sat down on the couch.

" Wow, you don't need to flash me." Bo almost immediately turned away. It was one thing to rub alcohol on her with her unbuttoned clothes on, but quiet another when she was completely naked.

" Now we are even." Tamsin smirked. Bo knew she was talking about she saw her naked in the bathtub the other day, and that thought made her blush a little. Bo cleared her throat, trying to act normal.

Tamsin lied down on the couch, letting Bo put new gauze pads on her. Bo tried hard not to stare at her breasts, or her legs, or any part of her naked body. The silky feeling from the Valkyrie's skin had given Bo a hard time too. She had to stop a couple times, just to catch her breath.

Eventually she finished patching her up. She immediately threw the towel on Tamsin, covering her body.

" Ok. Bed time." Bo said. " I guess I'll share my bed with you, since we only have two bedrooms here and I don't think Kenzi will welcome you."

" Wow, if that is your succubus move, I'd say thank God you are pretty." Tamsin said.

Bo rolled her eyes at her. " Are you coming or not?"

" Well, I guess I could use some sleep." Tamsin said as she followed Bo. She tried not to give her thoughts away, especially not to the succubus, but the fact that Bo invited her to her bed, had made her feel warm.

Tamsin lied down beside Bo. It was a little bit awkward, but both of them were too exhausted to deal with the awkwardness part. They just fell asleep.

Tamsin felt like she was dwelling in some deep, dark place, where she had no one to call, nowhere to hide, and nowhere to run. She stood there by herself for a while. Then she felt something falling on her. She saw something beside her feet, and she bent over to pick it up. It was the wanderer card. The wanderer cards were just pouring down from above, like the day Bo received her dawning invitation.

Tamsin felt terrified, just like that day she left Lauren's apartment after having the champagne with Bo.

Then she felt something on her neck, gripping so tightly that she couldn't breath. Odin's face appeared in front of her, as if he was part of the darkness. Tamsin stared at him, with her hands on his. She was trying to free herself from him, but she couldn't.

" I need you to do one last thing for me..." Odin said. Then he said something else, but Tamsin couldn't figure out what it was. She just saw his lips moving, with no sound. Fear and desperation consumed her. She screamed. She gasped hard with her hands fisting tightly. She opened her eyes, then she realized that she was lying in the bed. For a moment, she just lied there panting.

" Shhhh..." Bo's voice was whispering right beside her ears. The brunette embraced her lightly, as if she was protecting her. " Are you ok? You were screaming..."

" Just a nightmare..." Tamsin said. She closed her eyes, frustrated. She rested her head on Bo's chest. The brunette's hug was the only thing that could comfort her right now. Reluctantly and unwillingly, she pulled herself closer to Bo.

Bo felt the slight shivers from the blonde. She knew whatever she had dreamed of, frightened her. She wanted to ask her what it was about, but she knew the blonde would not tell her. She hugged her a little bit tighter, with her hand on her arm sending out some charms. She felt that the Valkyrie was calming down, and her breath became peaceful again.

" You know, if you pull too much of that succubus crap on me, I may actually start to..." Tamsin murmured. She didn't get to finish her sentence before she fell asleep. She could hear the brunette's heart beat, and to her, it was like the best lullaby in the world.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed this story! **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A few days had passed since Bo and Kenzi went to Taft's compound. Things between the light and the dark were still intense, but it seemed that the Morrigan had called off her dogs. Bo didn't know what Hale did, and she didn't want to know. Hale told them not to worry and to focus on finding Lauren.

Bo worked on some cases brought back by Kenzi. Besides that, she tried to figure out what was on that piece of paper she found in Taft's compound. She felt that it was something important, because Taft hid that in the compartment in his drawer. She thought it was some sort of map, but there was no land marks, no roads, no legends on it. There were only some irregular shaped closed contours, but it was definitely not the elevation contours. Then the only thing left on the piece of paper was five red circles, looking like some important places that were marked for a reason.

Bo felt like she had been staring at the piece of paper for hours. She lied down on the couch, frustrated and exhausted.

_Lauren, where are you?_

Then Bo heard Tamsin coming out from the bedroom. The Valkyrie walked to the kitchen to get herself some cereal to eat. She had been sleeping for most of the time during the past few days, and Bo could tell she was recovering fast.

" You know, if you stare at the paper longer, it might fall in love with you." Tamsin smirked as she sat down beside Bo.

" Haha, very funny." Bo rolled her eyes and said, "I can't figure it out. It's got to be some sort of map, of something important. I mean, why else would Taft keep it so secretly?" Bo said.

" He's crazy, remember? Have you shown it to Kenzi's Siren boyfriend, or Dyson?" Tamsin said as she picked up the piece of paper and looked at it.

" Yeah. Dyson was buried in paperwork and cases. Hale's got tons of shit to take care of right now, I doubt he'll have any time for this."

" Shit storm is coming to the fae world." Tamsin said while she was munching the cereal.

" What do you think could happen?" Bo asked.

" Well, worse case, another war. Best case, each side backs off a few steps and we all pretend we are at peace again." She tilted her head and thought about it for a while, " War would be fun."

" What would they do to Lauren?" Bo decided to ignore her comment about the war.

" Depends on what and how many bargaining chips each side has, how far would the light go for a human, and mostly, the clan elders. It's not about your human girlfriend, succubus. It's about who can get more control by exploiting this chaotic situation." Tamsin pulled her knees to her chest and laid the empty bowl on the floor, " Hell, I don't know, but your Lauren better be in hiding right now, 'cause whoever gets her first is going to be recognized as the hero."

" I need to figure out this map thing." Bo said. She laid the piece of paper on the coffee table and started to stare at it again.

Tamsin looked at it for a while. She frowned and tilted her head. Then she said, " Hey, something looks familiar... do we have a map here somewhere?"

" Yeah. I bought it couple days ago, trying to figure out where this paper leads us to, but I couldn't find a match. There's no road, no landmarks." Bo handed her the map.

" That's because there was none. The contours on the paper were the outline of the lakes around the city." Tamsin pointed the lakes out to Bo on the map, then she pointed at the contours on the piece of paper, " See, same shape."

" Then what about the red circles?" Bo asked.

" My guess? Probably Taft's other lairs." Tamsin said, " See, this lake was the one behind his compound which we've been to, and the red circle beside it is the location of the facility."

" Wow, you really are a detective." Bo said.

" There is a reason why I have a badge and you don't, sweetheart." Tamsin scrunched her nose at Bo. She stood up and said, " Come on, let's go check those places out. Maybe your girlfriend is caged in there somewhere. "

" Are you ready for this?"

" Never felt better." Tamsin smiled.

* * *

Bo and Tamsin drove to the circled area marked on the map. Tamsin was right. There were facilities similar to the compound they had been before at those locations. There were five of them, including the one where they met Taft.

The first one they visited looked like it was abandoned a long time ago. Weeds were growing on the walls, and rodents had already taken over that place.

The second place was newly built, but it was empty too. Instead of leaving in a hurry, it looked like it was emptied on purpose. Other than some empty cabinets, lockers and desk, there were nothing left inside.

" Hopefully one of them is not empty." Bo said when they got back in her car. She leaned back on the driver seat, with both of her hands on the steering wheel.

" We'll find out." Tamsin said, " Come on. Let's go."

* * *

The third facility was located in the woods. It was almost on the opposite side of the city, comparing to the one where they met Taft.

" I think we may have found something finally." Bo said as she slowed down the car and slowly parked it beside the road far away from it.

" Yeah." Tamsin said. She saw the patrolling guards too.

They got out from the car and walked to the facility. " Are we going to do the we-are-totally-lost thing this time again?" Tamsin asked Bo.

" As long as you don't ask anyone where the mall is..." Bo said. Right after she said that, both of them heard a click from behind.

" Fuck." Tamsin cursed. She recognized that clicking sound. It was the sound of a gun cocking. They slowly turned around, and saw a group of gun men pointing their weapons at them. They looked like the men they saw at the other facility before. The leader talked to someone else on his walkie-talkie, and he told the others, " Take them in."

" I knew I should have stayed away from you." Tamsin rolled her eyes and told Bo. They couldn't do anything but follow the orders of those men.

They brought them to a room inside the facility. They didn't imprison them, nor did they cuff them, but the way they guarded the door and the windows made Bo and Tamsin feel like they were prisoners.

The leader said something to whoever it was on the other side of the walkie-talkie. Then Bo heard the sound of high heels tapping on the floor from the hallway. She saw the guys in the hallway moved slightly, as if they were trying not to block whoever was coming.

" Lauren?!" Bo exclaimed when she saw the person walking through the door. For a moment she couldn't believe her eyes.

Lauren stopped at the door. She stared at Bo. Bo couldn't tell if she was happy to see her, or she was mad at her, or both.

" I need a word with the succubus, alone." Lauren told the leader. The guy seemed to be very subordinate. He nodded and asked two of his men to escort Tamsin out.

" Where are you taking her!" Bo yelled. She suddenly didn't know if she should ask the man, or Lauren.

" She'll be returned to you in one piece." Lauren said. Then she turned around to those guys and said, " Out."

Bo was shocked to hear Lauren say that, as if the doctor was no longer a prisoner, but the leader. She stood there with her eyes wide open. " Lauren, I'm here to rescue you..." was the only thing she could say. Suddenly she was not sure if the doctor needed rescuing.

" I know. We need to talk, Bo." Lauren said, " I'm not leaving."

" What?" Bo couldn't believe her ears.

" I took over the organization after Taft died. I'm their leader now."

" Oh, Lauren, please, tell me it's a joke. I promise I'll laugh."

" No, it's not, Bo."

" Lauren, don't do this to me. I get it that you need some space, and I'll give you some space. I'll give you all the space you want, but what is this?"

" It has nothing to do with you, Bo. It's just the right time for me to throw my old life away."

" You mean your old life as Lauren, or as Karen?"

Hearing that name, Lauren stiffened. Then she lowered her head and huffed out a laugh. " So, you know, huh?"

" Yeah, still in shock." Bo said. She didn't know if she should be mad at her, or she should just hug her right now. She didn't move.

" I was in the military research teams, trying to use my talent for the greater good. Then I figured out they were trying to create super soldiers. Such a cliché, right? I ran out, and joined some organizations that were very aggressive protesting such things. Later I was put on the wanted list. I ran to Congo. Then you know the rest." Lauren said peacefully, as if she was talking about someone else's life. " I've spent my whole life as someone's prisoner, the military, the Ash, the new Ash. I lost everything, my dreams, my life, Nadia..."

" You still have me." Bo said.

" No, you are not mine, and you will never be." Lauren said, " Bo, I loved you, and I still do, but don't you see it? Don't you see how it suffocated us? I will always want something that you don't have, and you will always try to give me something that you can't give."

" Don't say that, Lauren. Don't do this to me." Bo saw her own tears falling on her hand. It was then she realized that she was crying.

" Bo, I think it's time for both of us to let go." Lauren said in a low voice. Her voice was shaking.

" No, Lauren...I love you...I love you..." Bo said as she was choking in her own tears. She repeated the same sentence again and again, as if she was trying to persuade the blonde, or herself.

" I know you do, but you also love Dyson. I pretended that I don't care, but I do. "

" No, I'm not in love with Dyson. I don't love him the same way I love you."

" You care about him, as much as you care about me. You are a succubus, Bo. It's in your nature. You can't change that, nor can I."

Bo paused in silence. She knew Lauren was right, and she knew she was just too overwhelmed by the fact that Lauren finally had decided to let it go. There was nothing she could do.

" Ok. If that's what you want." Bo finally said, " I'll leave you alone." She paused for a while, then she continued, " The faes are looking for you. They won't be so kind to you."

" I know, and I'll deal with it." Lauren said calmly.

Bo looked at Lauren, through her own tears. She felt devastated, but somewhere deep inside her heart, she knew this day was coming. Like watching a bullet flying in slow motion, she knew it was gonna hit her, sooner or later, and now it finally did. The only thing she could do right now was to deal with it.

Bo leaned over and laid a kiss on Lauren's lips. " Good-bye." She whispered, to Lauren, and to herself.

* * *

" So, you want something to drink?" Tamsin asked Bo when they got home. She was a little worried about the succubus, because Bo had not said anything on their way back. She was not sure what she had talked about with Lauren, but she knew whatever it was, it had made the brunette act like someone close to her had just died.

" Just hit me with the strongest thing we have." Bo sat on the couch. She didn't know if she should cry, or yell, or something else. She couldn't tell if she felt pain, or sorrow, or anger. She just felt that one piece of her heart had been ripped out, and it was hollow inside now. She took the glass that Tamsin handed to her and downed the drink.

Tamsin sat down beside her. She poured herself a drink.

" To my true, real, break up." Bo raised the glass in her hand and downed it. Then she downed another.

Tamsin raised her eyebrows. She now knew why the succubus was acting like this. She handed Bo the vodka bottle without saying anything. Both of them just sat there, drinking.

After a while, Bo had finally lost track of how many drinks she had consumed. She leaned back to lie down on the couch, just to stop the spinning feeling she had right now.

" First Dyson, then Lauren... I should never be allowed to have any relationships anymore...I screwed up every relationship I've ever had..." Bo said. She had her hand on top of her eyes, because she didn't want the Valkyrie to see her tears welling up in her eyes.

" She still loves you." Tamsin said.

" Yeah, and I apparently still love Dyson, according to her."

The Valkyrie frowned at her when she heard that. " No you don't, you just care about the wolf too much."

" Exactly, I care about someone other than my girlfriend too much, that she broke up with me." Bo sighed, "This is just epic fail. I'm the worst person in the world..."

Tamsin frowned again. She turned her head a little to look at the brunette, who was lying on the couch devastated right now. She could see the agony in her eyes, and the desperation. The look gave her a dull, painful feeling in her heart. She lowered her head and leaned close. " How could you say that about yourself..." She whispered to the succubus, " You are..."

" I am what?" Bo asked, with her eyes staring at the blonde. The Valkyrie was so close, that it reminded her of the day she was in her tub. As soon as she thought about it, the air around her started to feel like it was burning up.

" Perfect." Tamsin had finally let the alcohol guide that word out from her throat. She was just an inch or two from Bo, even closer than the day they were both in the bathtub. She felt embarrassed when the word had finally burst out. She wanted to turn her head away, but she just couldn't move her eyes away from Bo.

Bo took a deep breath. She felt a little bit light headed. She was not so sure if it was because of the alcohol she had, or just because the Valkyrie was this close. She closed her eyes and leaned over, pressing her lips on the blonde's.

As soon as their lips met, the burning sensation ran through her body like electricity. The sorrow inside her, the sadness inside her, the anger, the pain and everything else inside her were roaring for an exit. She pulled Tamsin closer and kissed her hard.

Tamsin was startled, but she put down the glass in her hand and kissed Bo back. They kissed, then they stopped for some air, then they kissed again.

The next time Tamsin gasped for air, she realized that she was in bed with Bo, both naked. She couldn't remember how they got there, or when. With the lips of Bo on her body, sucking her and licking her, she could hardly think straight about anything.

Bo let go, completely turning herself to the control of her hunger, the alcohol in her body, and her lamenting soul for losing her lover. She topped the blonde, pinning her hands on the bed. Her lips were running across every inch of the Valkyrie's skin. Tamsin moaned as Bo cupped her breast and took her nipples in her mouth. The pleasure consumed her like waves of flood.

Bo indulged herself in the warmth and the energy from the blonde. She nibbled her stomach, leaving bite marks and hickeys everywhere.

Suddenly she stopped. The light pink scar of the gunshot wound on Tamsin woke her up. Things ran through her mind, pulling her out from her lust. Tears burst out from her eyes. Bo rested her head on the blonde's shoulder, starting to cry. " I'm sorry...I'm sorry... I can't... I'm sorry..." She repeatedly whispered the same sentences again and again. She didn't even know why she was saying them, or whom she was saying them to. She just bit her own lips hard and fisted the sheet, letting the tears fall out.

Tamsin felt the brunette's tears falling on her shoulder like trails of flames. She sighed, putting her arms around Bo's waist. She rolled her down on her side. "Shhh..." She whispered to the brunette, " It's ok...it's ok..." She could feel Bo shaking. She lightly stroked her back, trying to calm her down. She knew there was nothing else she could do, but to hold her tight and let her cry.

Bo pulled herself closer to Tamsin, with both of her hands around her waist. She had never been this close to the blonde, but strangely, she felt warm, and secure. Exhausted by the crying, the sadness and the alcohol, she closed her eyes. With the touch and the whispers from the blonde, she had finally fallen asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Bo found herself standing in a place that looked like a massive ruin site. She saw crumbled waste everywhere. She couldn't tell if it used to be a place with buildings, or just a wasteland. It felt like something had smashed whatever was there and then crushed whatever was left.

The sky was dark grey, with no sun. Bo couldn't even feel the wind. It was just dead silence.

_Where am I?_ Bo thought. She walked around a little bit, trying to figure out where she was. She saw dead bodies everywhere, covered in ash and dirt. They looked like they had been dead for a while, but she could still see the agony on those distorted faces, as if they were tortured before they died. Bo couldn't stare at those hollow opened eyes. She was never this close to so much death before, and that made her very uncomfortable.

A heavy feeling sat on Bo's heart, like a rock. She couldn't shake it off. She looked around, and saw no living things, not even a tree, or a blade of grass.

Suddenly she heard something, something roaring loudly. It was moving towards her fast. Bo turned to the direction where the sound was coming from. To her surprise, she saw a gigantic wall of water coming at her and wave after wave of water behind it. It looked like they were going to tear everything apart.

_Tsunami?_ The thought flashed through Bo's mind. As she was thinking about what it was, the wave came closer and closer. Bo gasped. She had nowhere to run, nor had she even been ready to react. She thought she was going to be drowned, but suddenly she moved to somewhere else.

She was standing on a sea cliff, watching the water devouring every piece of land under her. Somewhere far, far away, she saw something burning. She looked at it for a while, and realized that it was a volcano, erupting. The lava and the smoke covered the land and the sky.

She heard the whole world crying, humming with pain. The land was torn apart. The water flew down to the abyss, washing away everything that was left on the land. Bo stared at the abyss. It looked bottomless, with a dim red light emitting from below. She could feel her own legs shaking, as if she was about to fall.

It was then she realized that flames were pouring down from the sky, as if it was raining, only with fire. She could almost smell the flames burning, blazing through anything that was left on the ground.

She couldn't believe the things she was seeing right now. For a while, she just stood there, watching. She didn't know what to do, or to say.

Then she realized that the place where she stood was familiar. It was the same sea cliff where she met her father for the first time.

Bo turned around immediately. Her father, Odin, was standing right behind her. He had an indifferent look on his face. He was holding the walking stick, as if he needed that thing to support himself. He was staring at Bo, with his only eye.

" Where am I?" Bo asked, " And what's going on?"

" This is the end of everything." Odin said.

" What?" Bo was confused.

" This is what the world will become if you don't fulfill your obligations ." Odin smiled, " Floods, earthquakes, explosions, deaths, the doom of everything."

" What are you talking about? What do you mean by if I don't fulfill my obligations?"

" You are my daughter, Bo. You are the chosen one. You have a mission. You must end this."

" How? By wishful thinking? And what mission?"

" Be prepared. I'll see you again." Odin reached his hand out, and laid it on Bo's forehead. His hand was burning.

" Hey! You really should finish one story at a time!" Bo yelled, at the same time, she got pushed away.

Bo opened her eyes, and realized that she was in bed. The morning sun shined through the windows. It was so bright, almost looked unreal. Bo lied there still for a while, trying to figure out what had happened. Then she saw the Valkyrie sitting on the other side of the bed, looking at her. It looked like the blonde was getting dressed. She had already put on her pants, with her shirt in her hand. Bo couldn't help but stare at her breasts half covered by her black bra. Then she suddenly realized what had happened last night, or, yesterday. Lauren finally broke up with her. She got really drunk. She and Tamsin made out, and they almost had sex. She ended up crying out on top of her, and the Valkyrie ended up embracing her in her arms. She could still feel the warmth of Tamsin on her, as if she was still holding her in her arms.

Thinking about that, Bo cleared her throat and turned away. Tamsin raised her eyebrows. " You were yelling about something like one story at a time." She said to Bo, " What was that about?"

" I think I was talking to my father, in my dream. Is it real?"

" Yeah, he actually talked to you."

" Does he always talk to people in their dreams?"

" Well, that's not a dream. He pulled your mind from your body and talked to you in a different space and time. That's how he _communicates_ with people." Tamsin said as she put her shirt on, " What did he tell you?"

" If I don't fulfill my obligation, the world ends." Bo said with confusion, " Am I still dreaming? 'Cause it sounds like I am." She frowned and shook her head, trying to make sure she was not in a dream.

" Did he tell you when it's gonna end, or how it's gonna end?"

" No." Bo said, " The last thing he said was be prepared and he would see me again."

" Sounds like your father to me. He'll summon you later." Tamsin said. She stood up and buttoned her shirt. The morning sun behind her gave her a bright gold outline, as if she was transparent. Bo couldn't tell how she felt for the blonde, but she knew she liked to look at her like this. With all the things that had happened in the past few days, the Valkyrie was the only thing that comforted her.

Tamsin frowned. " Like what you see?" She said.

"Oh, sorry." Bo turned away. She suddenly felt awkward, so she decided to say something. " Thanks...emmm...for last night..."

" Well, technically, nothing happened." The Valkyrie smirked.

" Still... where are you going?"

" Emmm...work? I do actually have a job, remember?" Tamsin tilted her head to one side slightly, looking at Bo, as if she had just said something ridiculous. " I've been on leave for almost a week now. I can't rest forever."

" Oh, yeah." Bo said, " Shit..." She was still trying to recover from the shock of the breaking up and everything else happened during the past few days, that she didn't realize everyone else was going back to their normal lives. " I guess I'll see you after work then." She said.

The Valkyrie stiffened when she heard that. She lowered her head and smiled, avoiding eye contact. " I...emmm... I found a place to stay. So, you can enjoy your time with your human pet here."

" Oh..." Bo was a little bit surprised. She found herself suddenly having this urge to ask the blonde to stay, but she thought it was too ridiculous, so she decided to say nothing.

" As much as I enjoyed having a succubus beside me, I prefer to sleep alone." Tamsin said, then stepped closer to Bo. She stood there, hesitated for a while, then she reached her right hand out. Bo thought the Valkyrie was going to hug her, but the Valkyrie just tapped her shoulder in an awkward way.

" I'll...see you around." Tamsin said.

" Yeah, I'll see you around." Bo nodded. She didn't know why, but she felt upset. She watched the blonde walking out. Tamsin closed the door behind her.

Loneliness embraced Bo. For the first time in the past week, she felt that she was truly alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A few days passed since Lauren broke up with Bo. Bo had not heard from her since. Sometimes she missed her. Sometimes she woke up at night and thought about her. But sometimes, Bo felt that she just missed the time when she had someone by her side.

Both Dyson and Tamsin were back on their detective duties. Bo and Kenzi cleaned up the Dal, with the help of Bruce and the others. Bo decided to keep the Dal open. She thought she should just keep the place running, till Trick came back.

Somehow Hale had managed to force the Morrigan to back off from hunting them, so Bo and Kenzi moved back to their place. They started to meet clients and work on cases again.

Like waking up from a bad dream, everything seemed to be back to normal, except that the monsters in the dreams were still haunting the night.

Bo stood behind the bar, looking at the crowd and wondering if any of them knew what happened, or what was going to happen, or more importantly, if anyone would actually care.

Then she moved her eyes to the pool table area. Tamsin and Dyson were there, kicking each other's ass and laughing, with beer in their hands. Bo had not really talked to the blonde since she went back to work. She felt like she needed to talk to her, but she didn't know where to start. When they saw each other, they sometimes smiled, but most of the time, they ended up avoiding eye contact.

It was a late night. Most of the customers were gone. A few drunk dudes were mumbling things, half asleep. Tamsin was still in the Dal, drinking at a table far away from Bo. Bo was checking the inventories when she got a call from Hale.

" Hey! What's up Hale?" Bo tried to start the conversation with some small talk with Hale. She could feel there was something going on between Hale and Kenzi lately, but she had not asked either of them yet.

But Hale was not in the small talk mood, " Bo, listen to me very carefully." He said to Bo in a very low voice, as if he didn't want anyone to hear him.

" What? Why are you talking in such a low voice? Someone beside you?"

" We formed a raid team. They are going to raid Taft's organization tonight, one hour later, to be precise."

" Ok...why are you telling me this?"

" This is an anti-terrorist operation, Bo. They are gonna bomb the shit out that place before anyone could walk in or out alive." Hale said.

" What? How could you allow this to happen?" Bo said.

" How do you think I made the Morrigan back off on the humans as terrorists part? We made a deal, in front of the elders. She got to keep her position as the Morrigan, as long as she no longer pursues hunting the humans, or more importantly, you and Kenzi. And I get to go back to do the acting Ash, as long as I successfully manage to take down the Taft's organization."

" But Taft is dead, Lauren is the leader of the organization now. I don't think she will do anything to harm anyone." Bo said, " You have to stop this, Hale."

" I can't. It's out of my hands now. The raid is going to happen tonight. It's either lead by us, or by the dark. We can't let them exploit the situation further." Hale said, " That's why I am calling you right now. This is only between you and me. Warn Lauren, and leave before the raid team arrives."

" Ok...text me the address." Bo said, " I'll be on my way."

* * *

Tamsin saw Bo storming out from the Dal. She frowned, but instead of saying or doing anything, she poured herself another drink. She downed the drink and sighed. She just couldn't shake the succubus off her mind. She didn't want to move out. In fact, she wanted to stay with her, to make sure she was ok. She saw how devastated Bo was after her break up, and the look in Bo's eyes brought pain to her heart. But she knew she had to stay away, or her feelings for Bo would just burst through her throat every time when she was looking at her.

Tamsin poured herself another drink. She laid her right hand on her forehead, as if she was having a headache. Then she felt someone sitting down beside her.

Tamsin turned her head around. She immediately reached her hand behind her waist for her dagger, when she recognized the face of the woman who sat beside her. She was blonde too, tall, pale.

" Relax, I'm not here to fight, sister." The woman opened her mouth, " Long time no see, Tamsin."

" Svafa, what are you doing here?" Tamsin lowered her voice, still having her hand on her dagger.

" I'm here to deliver a message, from Odin." Svafa said, " He wants you to watch out for her."

" What?" Tamsin frowned, " He did everything he could to force me bring her in. Now he wants me to watch out for her?"

" I'm just the messenger. I don't interpret, nor do I question my orders."

" Well tell him to go to hell." Tamsin poured herself another drink.

" He also said, you need to go find the succubus tonight, before it's too late." Svafa said, " Ok, that's the message, I'm leaving. I thought you'd be dead by now, since you disobeyed your order."

" I'm just full of surprises." Tamsin raised her glass. She watched the woman leave, and sighed with a relief. Then she thought about what she told her.

_You need to go find the succubus tonight, before it's too late. _Tamsin frowned. Somehow she felt that something was going to happen tonight. She thought about it for a while. Reluctantly, she called Bo, but Bo was not answering.

Tamsin shrugged. Just when she was about to down another drink, she got a text from the precinct. It was about a raid planned tonight for Taft's organization, and the precinct asked every cop to stay alert and to prepare to support the raid. Tamsin read it through twice, suddenly she figured something out.

" Shit!" She cursed, " Damn it Bo, you'd better not be on the way there!" She grabbed her jacket and dashed out. On the way she called in and put Bo's phone on trace.

* * *

Bo arrived at the place where Hale texted her. She checked out her phone, fifteen minutes left.

Bo rushed into the building. It was a facility that was marked on the map, but since they found Lauren before they visited this place, they never bother to come here.

It was dark inside, only the emergency lights were on. A lot of dead bodies were lying around in every room in it. Bo was almost too scared to continue. She checked a few bodies for pulse, and found out that they had been dead for a while. They looked like the guards, or the lab workers of Taft's organization.

_Shit! Am I too late?_ Bo thought. She looked for Lauren among those bodies, but she didn't find her. She stood there for a while, not sure if she should be relieved by that, or more worried. She didn't know why there were so many bodies, because the raid team was not here yet.

Bo heard someone talking in a room at the end of the hallway. She approached the room cautiously, with her dagger in her hand. She saw a group of Taft's men were setting up something in there. Lauren was supervising them.

" Lauren! Thank God you are ok!" Bo pushed the door open and said, " What happened here? Why are there so many bodies?"

" Bo? Why are you here? You can't be here." Lauren opened her eyes wide and said to Bo. She looked both surprised and worried, " You need to leave!"

" The fae army is going to raid here tonight. You should go now!" Bo said.

" I'm not going anywhere. Bo, you should leave, now." Lauren said, " I know what they are doing, and I'm going to deal with it."

" By staying here?" Bo said, confused. She knew there was not much time left, so she rushed to Lauren and grabbed her hand, " You have to go with me now."

" I have a plan, Bo. Trust me." Lauren said. She freed herself from Bo's grasp, and turned around to nod to the guards. Two of them came to Bo, pulling her away from Lauren.

" Leave." Was the last thing Lauren told Bo, before she closed the door. Two men dragged Bo out of the building. Then they went back in.

Bo stood there, shocked. She didn't know what to do, or what to say. She was still trying to process the fact that Lauren refused to leave with her, even if she knew about the raid plan of the faes.

Then Bo heard a loud explosion, out of nowhere. She unconsciously turned around, and watched one side of the building collapse.

" No!" Bo yelled. She couldn't think of anything but to run as fast as she could towards the building. The only thing on her mind right now was to find Lauren and drag her out.

When she entered the gate, a second explosion happened. Bo felt a strong push on her body, and she blacked out.

* * *

Tamsin drove to the raid destination. On the way she got the result of locating Bo's phone, and her phone was at the exact same location.

" Fuck! You just can't stay away from trouble, can you?!" Tamsin cursed and hit the gas pedal hard. She could hear the tire squeaking, but she couldn't care less. She saw the partially collapsed building on her way, and she felt her heart had just stopped.

Tamsin got out from her car and rushed to the building. She dialed Bo's number. She heard the ring tone, loud, almost too scary in the quiet night. She found Bo unconscious, half buried under the bricks.

" Damn it!" Tamsin took a deep breath and checked her pulse. She was so relieved that Bo was still alive. She dug her out as fast as she could and carried her back to her car, trying not to look at the blood that was all over her body. She started her car and drove away. A minute or two later, she heart an explosion behind her, followed by another explosion. The raid team had arrived, and the building turned into a pit of fire in seconds.

Tamsin carried Bo into her apartment. She laid her on the couch. Bo was moaning in pain, with her eyes closed. " Shit! Shit!" Tamsin cursed. She kneeled on the floor, lightly tapping Bo's face, trying to wake her up.

Maybe it was the pain, or her tapping, Bo opened her eyes. She was not fully conscious, but she woke up. She narrowed her eyes, looking at Tamsin confused. " Tamsin?" She murmured. She wanted to say something else, but she couldn't because the pain was killing her. She groaned loud, with her hands pressing on her wounds.

" Hey, stay with me." Tamsin pressed her hands on Bo's. She looked at Bo, knowing that she was going to pass out again. After a few seconds of hesitation, she pressed her lips on Bo's. She knew that was the only thing she could do for Bo right now. She tasted the blood on her lips, together with the sweetness, and it blew her mind blank.

Bo moaned again, this time, less painful, more pleased. Even in agony, she still drowned in the soft kiss Tamsin had just given her. Her eyes turned bright blue, with a seductive smile on her face. Her hunger had taken control over her. She rolled herself up, topping Tamsin, with her lips pressed tightly against hers. With her hands tucked under Tamsin's skin, Bo kissed her hard.

Tamsin gasped. Then she felt the succubus had torn her shirt off, then her pants. Bo threw her pants aside. It hit something hard, but neither one of them cared. Tamsin pulled Bo's tank top over her head. Then they just took off each other's bra as fast as they could, as if they were having a competition to see which one of them could tear off the other person's clothes faster.

Bo pushed her fingers in with no warning, and that made Tamsin scream out loud. She bit her lips, trying to stop herself from screaming. She felt the thrusting fingers inside her, pushing her higher. She closed her eyes and gasped hard, pulling herself up closer to Bo. Bo started to feed. It was painful, but extremely arousing at the same time. Tamsin couldn't tell if she was going to black out, or she was going to orgasm, or both. She bit the succubus' shoulder, just to release the tension. With her finger nails dug into the brunette's back, she climaxed in screams.

Bo felt the pain on her shoulder and her back, but strangely, it turned her on. Tamsin's Chi flooded through her body. It was the best feeding she had ever had. She slowly came back to her senses, when the blonde was falling from her peak, trembling under her.

Bo tried to catch her breath. She stared at the blonde. The blonde was looking at her too. Bo caressed Tamsin's face slowly, with her index finger. She thought she should just stop, because she had healed completely, but somehow, she didn't want to. Seeing the vulnerable, painful look in the blonde's eyes, she couldn't do anything but lower her head and kiss the blonde again, this time, much softer.

Tamsin shivered when the succubus' lips touched hers again. She closed her eyes and kissed her back. Only God and she knew how badly she had longed for this. The soft touch, the taste, and the warmth. She cupped Bo's face, running her finger through her silky, dark hair. She gently ran her tongue across Bo's bottom lip, then her tongue met Bo's. Both of them melted in the kiss. Tamsin moved her hands down to Bo's pants. She unbuttoned her pants and pulled them off, and then she rolled on top.

" Maybe we should go to the bed..." Bo said, while she was gasping for air, " This couch is..."

" Yeah, we definitely should..." Tamsin replied, but she didn't move. She moved her lips down and lifted Bo's legs.

Bo gasped hard and raised herself up when the Valkyrie's tongue run across her core. She fisted her hands on the side of the couch and threw her head back. Tamsin raised her hips a little, licking her clit. She felt the succubus shaking, and she pulled her closer. She pushed her fingers in, and seconds later, the succubus screamed in pleasure. Her orgasm hit her so hard that she almost lost her voice.

Bo was trying to catch her breath. She stared at the blonde on top of her then raised herself, shifting their weight so she could sit on the blonde's lap. She pulled herself close by grabbing the Valkyrie's waist. She laid kisses on Tamsin's jaw line while she thumbed her nipples, and the blonde moaned out loud.

" I should really go get a shower..." Bo said when she saw the blood and the dirt all over her body.

" Yeah..." Tamsin said, " We could all use a shower..." Her fingers were in between Bo's legs, caressing her clit again.

Minutes later they were in the hot water. Their lips never parted. The hot, steamy air in the bathroom had made both of them a little light headed. Tamsin pushed Bo against the wall, and gazed into the beautiful, brown eyes. Then she lowered her head and kissed her. She pushed her fingers inside the brunette again, with her leg in between Bo's thighs. Bo had her hands in between Tamsin's legs too. They ground themselves against each other faster and faster, until both of them screamed out during their long, hard orgasms in the shower.

They gasped, and kissed again, pacifying their pounding hearts. Bo had her hands running through Tamsin's hair. She watched the water dropping from the blonde's perfect body. All she could do was kiss her again and again.

* * *

" Hey, thanks for...emmm...everything." Bo said as she lied down on Tamsin's bed, after she dried herself with a towel Tamsin threw to her. Part of her mind was still stuck in the sex they just had. Everything else was just vague and foamy right now.

" Well, maybe next time you should stay out of trouble." Tamsin said, " Sleep tight. I'll take the couch."

" Oh..." Bo replied. She wanted to ask the Valkyrie to stay with her, but she could feel the sudden awkwardness between them right after they got out from the shower. She decided not to say anything, just not to make things weirder. She watched the Valkyrie walk out and close the door.

Bo sighed. She stared at the ceiling, thinking about the things that had happened today. She went to find Lauren, and Lauren told her she had a plan. Then she watched the place explode.

Then she fed on Tamsin, and they had sex. It was not just for feeding purpose, Bo knew that, and she knew the Valkyrie knew that too, but both of them chose to ignore that issue and let the orgasms hit them again and again. She didn't know why they did that, more importantly, she didn't know why the blonde would let her do that. She felt there was something there, between them, but she didn't dare to ask.

Bo closed her eyes, frustrated.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Now I have a much better idea about where this story is going and what will happen next. This story is going to be a long story, and right now I think I've only set up the background. Hopefully it's not too slow :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Tamsin left for work before Bo woke up. Bo stayed in her empty apartment for a while. She couldn't figure out what she should do with the blonde, so she decided that she should just leave and go to the Dal, because she practically stormed out from there last night.

Everything was ok at the bar. Bo felt relieved. She saw Kenzi sitting at the bar, drinking alone.

" You are awfully early." Bo said to her as she walked to the Russian girl. She sat beside her.

" And you didn't come home last night, bestie." Kenzi stared at her with a straw in her mouth, " Is there something I should know about?"

" Just...my succubus thing." Bo knew if she told Kenzi that she had sex with Tamsin, a shit storm would come and she was not ready for it.

" Got it. No further questions!" Kenzi said, " We got a case. That is...if you want to work on cases instead of getting really drunk over your break up. 'Cause dude, I'm totally in if you want to..."

" No, I'm fine. I could use a distraction right now." Bo said. She thought she should just work on some cases, because it would help to take her mind off everything else, like Lauren, or the Valkyrie, or her father.

" Ok. I got a friend, who has a friend... Anyway, there is this woman, she works in a morgue. She said a few dead bodies there have disappeared recently."

" Dead bodies disappearing? Could be a body jumper or something, I guess." Bo said, " Let's go check it out."

Bo and Kenzi arrived at the morgue a little after lunch time. The client was eating her sandwich right beside a body. It seemed that the nasty corpse had totally no effect on her appetite. The way she enjoyed her food, made Bo wonder if they were actually in a diner.

" Hi, you must be Kenzi." The woman smiled at them when they walked in. Then she turned to Bo and said, " And you must be Bo. I'm Sophie."

" Nice to meet you." Bo smiled to her politely, giving her a hand shake.

" So, what's the situation here?" Kenzi asked. She was facing away from the body.

" We've lost a few corpses during the past week." Sophie said.

" Any connections between the bodies?"

" Hard to say." Sophie said, " Because all three bodies were John Does, and those were the only three unidentified bodies we have. I don't know if they had any connections."

" I noticed that you have cameras here." Bo pointed at the corners of the ceiling, " Any footage we can watch?"

" Actually, one of them is broken, long time ago. I filed request, but you know how the bureaucracy works." Sophie looked upset. She finished her sandwich and continued, "and the other one was blocked and turned away the night the bodies disappeared. "

" By whom? And you mean all three bodies disappeared on the same night?"

" I don't know. The thief maybe? I can't say I'm a hundred percent sure, but even if they didn't disappear at the same time, it would be very close." Sophie titled her head, trying to recall something in her memory.

" Ok. Do you have visitor logs? 'Cause I'm gonna need those if you do." Bo said.

" Yeah, of course." Sophie took a sign on log from the back of the door, " but I can't give the original copy to you, I'll need to make a copy for you in the copy room, if you would excuse me for a minute or two."

" No problem." Bo smiled to her.

" So, what do you think? Body jumper? Body eater? Necromancer? Zombies?" Kenzi asked after Sophie went out.

"No idea, but I'm sensing that whoever took those bodies wants some dead bodies with no identities." Bo said, " Which is weird..."

They sat there for a while. Then Sophie came back with the copies of the visitor logs. She also had something else for Bo. " It's all the files we have on the missing bodies." She told Bo.

" Why didn't you call the police?" Bo asked.

" I did, and police came, but no updates." Sophie shrugged, " I guess I'll just have to find someone myself. I can't allow this happening in my morgue."

" Yeah no kidding." Kenzi murmured.

Bo went back to the Dal. Since it was still early, no customers were there. She figured she would just go through the files with Kenzi. Kenzi took a bottle of liquor out and poured herself and Bo a drink. She sat beside Bo, watching her reading the files for a while, then she said, " How are you holdin' up?"

" I'm fine." Bo said. Then she frowned and thought about her own answer for a while. She realized that she actually felt fine. "Actually, I really feel alright." She added.

" So what's the drill on Lauren now?"

" I don't know, honestly. I think she wants to work with the organization, maybe to fulfill her dreams." Bo said.

" She's not coming back?"

" I don't think so."

" I think I'm gonna miss her. Only sometimes." Kenzi said as she sipped her drink, " Does that mean you are going to get back with D-man?"

Bo almost choked. " No! Dyson and I are just friends, and we'll stay friend."

" Yeah, but what if you are badly injured. You know..."

" I think I can deal with that." Bo said. She blushed when she realized who she was thinking about. She downed a drink, just to cover the blush on her face. She found herself somehow surprisingly attached to the blonde.

" Ok, if you say so." Kenzi slammed the counter top with both of her hands and said, " Find anything in the files?"

" I don't know..." Bo held one of the photos up in her hand and said, " I think this guy looks really familiar. Do you recognize him? Maybe we met him like in one of our previous cases or something?"

" Nope. Total stranger to me." Kenzi said, " Maybe you banged him before?"

" No, I'm pretty sure I can do better." Bo said with her eyes wide open. " Maybe he just looks like someone I know or something." She said as she shook her head.

" Maybe." Kenzi said, " Well, nothing abnormal in the sign on sheets. I guess we could dig a little more on every name on this sheet, see if any of them were suspicious."

" Good idea." Bo said, " Why don't you go do that? I need to start preparing for the bar opening now. It's getting late."

" Cool."

People started to show up at the bar. It was just like normal. Then Bo saw Dyson and Tamsin walk in. She stole a glance at the blonde. The Valkyrie was talking to Dyson and they were both laughing. Then the blonde saw her, and she turned her head away.

Dyson came to the bar, with his warm, greeting smile on his face. " Hey, how's it going?" Dyson asked Bo as he took the beer Bo handed to him.

" Alright, I guess." Bo said. She saw the Valkyrie sit down beside Dyson, with a case file folder in her hand.

" Vodka." Was the only thing she said to Bo. Bo handed her a bottle of vodka, and a glass. She accidentally touched Tamsin's finger when she handed her the glass. Both of them withdrew their hand as if their fingers were burnt, and the glass dropped on the counter.

" Wow, bar tender, first day of work?" Dyson teased Bo.

Bo smiled with a little bit embarrassment. She saw Dyson take out a file folder too, so she asked, " New case?"

" Yeah, some missing corpse case."

" Missing corpse? They wouldn't happen to be missing from the Community hospital a few blocks away, would they?"

" No." Dyson looked at her confused, " It's from the city hospital. They've lost a dozen dead bodies over the past week or two. Why?"

" Kenzi and I are working on a case, the morgue lost three bodies in the past week."

Dyson frowned. " You think they are linked?"

" Well, missing corpse, do you need anything else?" Bo asked.

" Ok. Can I take a look at the files you have on your case?" Dyson asked.

" Yeah, of course. Kenzi has them though. She's probably in Trick's den right now."

" Ok. I'll go find her." Dyson stood up and went downstairs.

Bo looked at the blonde, who was reading the files she had with her head lowered.

" Hey." She finally decided to say something, since Dyson and Kenzi was not beside them, " Thanks for saving my life last night."

" No need." The Valkyrie smirked, " Don't get too attached."

Bo wanted to say something else, but before she could, Dyson and Kenzi came out to sit down at the bar. Dyson had both his files, and the files from Bo in his hand.

" Let's see if there's anything in common." Dyson said. He opened the folder and laid the filed in front of Tamsin, Kenzi and him.

" Well, they were all John Does and Jane Does, that I can tell ya." Kenzi said, " Which is great, because we don't know anything about them."

" Maybe I should run all of them through the facial recognition program, see if any of them matches anyone in the database. It's gonna take a while though." Dyson said.

" Speaking of facial recognition..." Bo took a photo out from the files, and handed it Dyson, " Have you ever seen this guy? He looks really familiar to me, but I couldn't recall where or when I have seen him..."

Dyson looked at the photo and shook his head. " No. Never seen him in my life."

" Then where have I met him? It's not from our case, or yours..."

" Maybe he came to the Dal before or something." Dyson said, then he turned to Tamsin and said, " You're very quiet, partner. Everything ok?"

" Everything is great." Tamsin smiled to him, " Just reading files."

" Any findings?"

" Well... " Tamsin raised her eyebrows as she pushed two pieces of paper to Dyson, " Look at these two signatures on the visitor log. One of them is from our case, the other is from...Bo's." She hesitated for a second or two before letting Bo's name finally come out. She pointed at the two names she was talking about to Dyson. " See anything?"

" Different names... but the hand writing looks the same..." Dyson said, " If both names were signed by one person, why would he use different names for different places?"

" One explanation, he's our guy." Kenzi slammed the counter top, " Ok, case solved, and I'm gonna go find some rare drink of Trick's..."

" Let me see it." Bo tilted her head a little, so she could read the two names Tamsin were talking about. She froze when she saw the hand writing.

" What's wrong?" Dyson knew something was wrong, by the look on Bo's face.

" I know the handwriting..." Bo said, " It's Lauren."

" What?!" Both Dyson and Tamsin exclaimed.

" How could she be involved in this?" Tamsin said as she frowned.

" I don't know..." Bo said, " But it matches the timeline. I mean, she took over the organization about two weeks ago, and the bodies starting disappearing like last week."

" But why?" Dyson asked Bo, " Have you talked to her lately?"

" Yeah, well, sort of. I don't know what she is up to right now." Bo said. She took a glance at the Valkyrie. The Valkyrie was looking at her too. Both of them turned their heads away immediately.

" I guess we'll find out." Dyson said, with his eyebrows furrowed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Bo spent the next few days trying to find Lauren, but she had no luck. All known facilities that belonged to the Taft Organization were either bombed by the Fae raid team, or abandoned a long time ago. None of them had any clues for where or how to find Lauren.

Bo called Hale, asking him about the raid. According to him, the raid was very successful. They completely destroyed the place, and they had found over fifty burnt bodies that they were trying to identify.

Bo felt heavy hearted when she heard about the bodies. She didn't see Lauren coming out that day, but Lauren told her she had a plan. She asked Hale if there were any bodies that could be identified as Lauren. Hale told her he didn't know yet.

Dyson and Tamsin were still working on the missing bodies' case. They had found some other morgues and facilities that had bodies come up missing during the past week or two. However, nothing was found, other than the two signatures that matched Lauren's handwriting.

Bo was working on some other minor cases Kenzi had taken, when Dyson called her.

" Bo, could you come over to the Ash's compound right now?" Dyson said. He sounded very serious.

" Ok...? I'm actually in the middle of something here, can it wait?" Bo said. She was meeting a client in a coffee shop.

" I think you better dump whatever it is you have on your hands right now, and come here." Dyson said, " Just come over to the lab, will you?"

* * *

Bo went to the Ash's compound as soon as she could. She had a bad feeling right after she walked into the lab. A group of the Ash's lab workers were there. They looked busy. But, that was not what caught Bo's attention. Her eyes were glued to the dead bodies in the room. There were dozens of dead bodies, all severely burnt. None of them had even an inch of skin on them, not to mention...any faces.

" What happened?" Bo asked Dyson, who was standing in the middle of the room.

" These are the bodies we found in Taft's facility after the raid." Dyson said.

" What?" Bo said, " Did they pour flames into that place or something?"

" We used high explosive and incendiary bombs that night." Hale's voice came from behind.

" Anyway, why am I here?" Bo asked Dyson, " What's the emergency?"

" We found something on one of the...female bodies." Dyson said, " Something that belonged to Lauren."

Bo felt like her heart had stopped, when she realized what Dyson was talking about. " But it's not Lauren, right? Tell me it's not her!"

" I'm sorry, Bo." Dyson shook his head, " I'm afraid it is Lauren."

" Where is she? Let me see her!" Bo grabbed Dyson's collar and said.

" You are standing right in front of her." Hale said.

Bo let go of Dyson, starting to stare at the body in front of her. She couldn't even tell whether it was a woman or a man, let along whether it was Lauren. " How do you know this is Lauren?"

" We matched her DNA in our system." Dyson said.

" Well, it must be a mistake or something."

" We ran the test at least five times."

" No, this can't be real! This is not Lauren. I just know. I could feel it. I know she's still alive." Bo said.

" Bo. I know this is hard...but..." Dyson put the thing in his hand down and grabbed Bo's shoulder, trying to comfort her.

Bo was going to say something, but she paused when she saw the thing that Dyson had put down. She recognized it as the Ash's pendent. " Where did you find that?" Bo said.

" On Lauren's body." Dyson said, " That's why we decided to run the DNA test."

" Emmm...that's impossible." Bo said.

" Why? What do you mean?" Dyson frowned.

" Because this is her pendent." Bo took something out from her pocket and handed it to Dyson. " She left it in her apartment when she went away with Taft. I found it there, and I took it, just in case anyone else found out she ditched the Ash..."

" That can't be right." Dyson said, " If you have it, where did this second one come from?"

" Let me see them." Hale took both pendants in his hand and examined them carefully. He paused there for a long time, eyebrows furrowing. Then he said to Dyson and Bo in a low voice, " The one we found on the body is a fake. Very good replica."

" Well there you go. It's not Lauren's. And I'm pretty sure Lauren is still alive. I can feel it. Even if she did have the pendent, she wouldn't wear it, because she'd already told me that she was not going to come back. If she was not going to come back, why would she wear that pendent?" Bo said. She thought about it for a while, then she added, " Besides, I saw her the night the raid took place. She was not wearing this."

" You saw her that night?" Dyson said, " In that place? You could have got yourself killed by the raid team!"

" I'm not dead." Bo looked at Hale, not sure if she was supposed to tell Dyson that it was Hale who warned her about the raid.

" Ok. So if this is not Lauren, why do we have a matching DNA?" Dyson asked.

" I don't know, but that night Lauren told me she had a plan. Maybe this is a part of her plan. Maybe she altered the database somehow."

" Then whose body is this?" Dyson asked.

" I don't know. I just know it's not Lauren. Maybe she placed a corpse there to be hers...wait a minute... corpse..." Bo said, " Remember the corpse case you have? That there was this guy, I said he looked familiar?"

" Yeah. You asked if we had seen him before."

" I saw him the night I met Lauren. When I walked in there, bodies were everywhere. I checked one for his pulse. Now I remember that it was him! It was a stole corpse!" Bo said.

Dyson opened his eyes wide. Then he frowned. " Now come to think of it... We found fifty three bodies there, which actually matches the total number of the missing corpses... but the coroner's report says all the bodies here died that night, the cause of death is fire, suffocation and explosion. If these bodies were those stolen corpses, how could the cause of death match?"

" I don't know." Bo said, " Maybe her plan took care of that too."

" If she had this plan, to plant dead bodies there, posing them as if they were all killed in the raid, why would she leave evidence behind. She should have known that you would have the pendent. She wouldn't have left the signatures like that either." Dyson said.

" She's sending me a message, telling me that she is still alive, without telling anyone else." Bo said, " Because I'm the only one who could recognize her signature, and know about the pendent."

Hale did not say anything for a long time. He just stood there, listening to Dyson and Bo. He had his eyebrows furrowed the whole time, but eventually he spoke up, " No matter what happened, this body stays as Lauren's, and this stays between three of us. If Lauren wants to fake her own death, I'll give her one, for old time's sake."

" Thank you, Hale." Bo said, " I hope she's ok."

" She should be fine. If all these bodies were posed there, the organization should still be active. She has an army now. She'll be alright." Hale said, " But this ends here, I'll take care of all the discrepancies, if there are any."

Bo nodded. She let out a deep breath. She didn't know how Lauren did it, but she knew the doctor was still out there. And that was all she needed to know.

" Where is Tamsin? Why isn't she in on this?" Bo asked Dyson. She realized that she had not seen her today.

" This is a light Fae thing, so she didn't come." Dyson said, " Why?"

" Nothing. Just curious." Bo said. She didn't want Dyson to know about her feelings for the blonde. In fact, she didn't even know how she felt for the blonde. She sometimes just thought about her.

* * *

Tamsin went to her favorite bar. She knew neither Dyson nor Bo would come here, so she could be left alone. She enjoyed being alone, at least she felt less irritated. She wanted to see the succubus so bad, but she knew she just shouldn't. It was dangerous enough that she had fallen for her. She shouldn't get any closer.

She sat in a corner of the bar, sipping her drink. She couldn't shake the succubus off her mind. All she could think of was her. She sighed and leaned back on the chair, with her eyes closed.

She heard someone walk to her, and stop beside her. " Seats are taken." She said.

" I bet to differ." A woman's voice came, cold.

Tamsin opened her eyes. She saw Svafa in front of her." What the fuck are you doing here?" Tamsin said with a low voice. She grabbed her dagger.

" Messenger, again." Svafa said.

" Then leave the message and get lost." Tamsin replied. She downed her drink.

" Odin asked me to give you this." Svafa took out a small vial from her pocket. It was only one fourth of the size of the ruin glass. It had some sort of liquid in it.

" I don't need shit from him."

" It's not for you. It's for the succubus." Svafa said.

" Tell him to screw himself." Tamsin replied.

" Tamsin, you've disobeyed him multiple times. It's lucky that you are still alive. Let the succubus bitch drink this, and everything you did will be forgiven." Svafa said, " It's not like it's gonna kill her."

" Then enlighten me. What _does_ it do?"

" It allows a Valkyrie to bond with her. "

" What? That's just the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." Tamsin shot a stare at Svafa, " Unless the Valkyrie falls for the target and the target agrees on the bonding, it won't work."

" That's why you need to give her the drink. Once she drinks this potion, any Valkyrie can force the bond."

" If he wants this so bad, tell him to deliver the drink to the succubus himself."

" Can't be done. It has to done by someone who is not willing to." Svafa said, " Why do you think you are still alive right now, after your betrayal?"

Tamsin grabbed the vial and dropped it on the floor on purpose. The vial was broken, and the liquid fell out. " Oops." Tamsin rolled her eyes, " Sorry."

Svafa huffed out a laugh. " I don't get you, Tamsin. Acacia died because of you! You chose an unaligned succubus over the sisterhood of the Valkyrie? "

" Say Acacia's name one more time and you'll be sorry." Tamsin grabbed Svafa's collar and pulled her closer. She felt the anger burning inside her.

Svafa gave her a provoking smile. " Acacia." She said. The next thing she knew was Tamsin's fist punching on her face.

Svafa backed off a few steps. Then she charged Tamsin, shoveling her to the wall. Tamsin struggled and freed herself from the hands of Svafa's. She grabbed her wrists and twisted them behind her back.

" That's all you got?" Svafa said. She swung her head back hard and hit Tamsin's chin. Tamsin stepped back, letting go of Svafa's hands.

Both of them stood there, staring at each other, with their bodies ready for fight. Tamsin drew her dagger out. Svafa drew her wrist blades out in her both hands.

" Bring it on, bitch!" Tamsin said.

Svafa didn't say anything. She charged Tamsin, and slashed both of her blades at her. Tamsin dodged her, but one of her blades ran across Tamsin's arm and cut a wound. Tamsin turned herself around, punching Svafa in her stomach with a left fist.

" Tickles, didn't hurt at all. You are really getting old." Svafa said. She backed off a little and kicked Tamsin on her collar bone. Tamsin grabbed her ankle half way and spun her around. She threw her out to the wall. The painting on the wall fell with Svafa. Svafa stood up immediately, wiping the blood off her nose and spit on the floor.

" Want more?" Tamsin smirked, ignoring the pain coming from her arm. Svafa growled and charged her again. Tamsin took both of her blades with her dagger and jerked her aside. Svafa crutched down and swung her arm. Her blade cut across Tamsin's stomach, leaving a shallow yet bleeding wound.

Tamsin kicked her on her chin. The other woman fell on the floor. Before she could stand up, Tamsin grabbed her by her collar, with her dagger pressed against her throat. " Get lost. Next time I see you, you will be dead."

Tamsin let her go, slowly stepping back with the dagger in her hand. Svafa stood up. She laughed and said, " It was fun, sister, but I have somewhere else to be. See ya."

" Fuck." Tamsin cursed as she watched the other woman walk out. She sheathed her dagger and let out a deep breath. The customers in the bar were staring at her, scared. There were shattered glasses and bottles all over.

Tamsin spit out the blood in her mouth. She left the bar.

* * *

The noises coming from the doorway of the bedroom woke Bo up. She immediately grabbed her dagger in her hand and turned on the light.

To her surprise, she saw Tamsin standing there, leaning on the door frame. The Valkyrie had her right hand on her abdomen. Bo could see a few bleeding cuts on her, and bruises.

" Tamsin. What happened?" Bo put down her dagger and got off her bed. She ran to the Valkyrie, lifting her shirt up to check her wounds.

" Patch me up?" Tamsin asked as she stared at the brunette. She knew she shouldn't be here, but after what had happened today, she felt that she had to see her.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Bo was going to take Tamsin downstairs but she didn't want to wake up Kenzi, so she just let Tamsin lie down on her bed. Then she walked downstairs to get the first aid kit which she never used.

The Valkyrie had already taken off her shirt when Bo came back. She was lying there, with her eyes closed.

Bo wiped the blood off her with a towel. She heard the blonde moan in pain, when she reached the wound on her stomach.

" What happened? Who did this?" Bo asked as she wiped the blood off the Valkyrie's nose.

" Bar fight." Tamsin said. She didn't want to tell Bo about the whole potion thing.

" Since when did bar fights involve sharp blades?" Bo frowned. She knew it was something more than a simple bar fight, but she didn't know if she should keep pushing for the real answer.

" Since today?" Tamsin smirked.

Bo rolled her eyes at her. She took the blonde's arm and rubbed some alcohol on her wound. She saw the blonde biting her lips, so she gently sent out some charms to her.

Tamsin shivered when the succubus's charm hit her. She bit her lips harder this time, trying not to moan.

Bo moved down. She found herself having an irresistible urge to stare at the Valkyrie's half naked body, so she slightly turned her face away. After a few deep breaths, she focused on Tamsin's stomach. The cut was long, but not too serious. She put a gauze pad on it after cleaning. Then she checked the blonde to make sure she got everything.

" Ok. You are all set." Bo sat on the bed beside Tamsin.

" Then I guess it's time for me to go." Tamsin raised herself up, but she gasped hard because of the pain.

" You are not going anywhere. Not like this." Bo reached her hands out to support her, " You're gonna stay here with me tonight."

" Wow, the succubus asking me to stay?" Tamsin smiled. She wanted to make a joke, but she suddenly ran out of words.

Bo didn't reply to her. She just lied down beside Tamsin and turned off the light. She held one hand of Tamsin's in hers, and sent out some of her charms. " Just relax, and rest." She said.

Tamsin found herself in Odin's realm, surrounded by other Valkyries and warriors. Odin was sitting on his throne, with his ravens resting at his feet. He looked so distant, and so cold. He was staring at Tamsin. Then he said, " You did a good job, Tamsin."

Tamsin was confused. She felt herself knowing what he was saying, but at the same time, not knowing.

" You gave her the vial. And now we can force the bond." Odin said. He rested his chin on his right hand. He clicked his fingers.

_I didn't give her the vial. I broke it_. Tamsin thought. She heard someone coming through the gate to the hall, and she turned around.

Two men escorted Bo in. Bo had this look on her face, as if she was not aware what was going on around her, and she didn't care. She looked like she was possessed or something.

" What did you do to her?" Tamsin yelled at Odin angrily.

" You gave her the vial, remember?" Odin smiled, " Now the potion controls her, so any Valkyrie can bond with her against her will."

" You can't do this! This is not how the Valkyrie's bond works! It's against the rules!" Tamsin shouted. Suddenly Odin moved right in front of her, gripping her neck. " There are no rules, for I am the rules. I decide who lives and who dies! Obey me!" He roared.

" Don't you hurt her... don't you hurt her..." Tamsin couldn't breathe. She stared at Odin, with both of her eyes open wide. Then she heard someone's voice coming from somewhere far away.

" ...wake up, Tamsin, wake up." Bo's voice came to her, so warm, so close. Tamsin could feel her hands tapping on her face, and her breath right beside her ears. For a moment she was not sure if she should wake up.

But eventually she opened her eyes, and realized it was just a dream. She panted, staring at the ceiling. Then she heard Bo turn on the light. The warm, orange colored light repelled the darkness of the night, comforting her.

" Are you ok?" Bo asked her, with one of her hands on her face. She looked worried, with her eyebrows furrowing. " You were yelling in your dreams." She added.

" What did I say?" Tamsin asked, turning her head to look at Bo.

" You repeated something like...don't hurt her." Bo said.

" Oh." Tamsin let out a deep breath.

" So, who were you talking about?" Bo was curious.

" What?"

" Who is _her_?"

Tamsin smiled bitterly. " Nothing. No one." The last thing she wanted right now is to tell Bo that it was her.

" Well, sounds to me like you really care about her." Bo said. She felt something... curiosity, jealousy, or something more complicated.

Tamsin stiffened. She stared at the brunette, as if she wanted to imprint her image into her brain. The warm, brown eyes, the soft, pink lips, the silky, curly hair, the fair, smooth skin, and everything else. Seeing that the brunette was staring back at her, with question marks popping out from her head, Tamsin closed her eyes. She huffed out a light laugh, which sounded more like a sigh. " Yeah, I suppose I do." She murmured.

Bo frowned a little. She could see the look appear in Tamsin's eyes again, the vulnerable, painful look, as if she wanted something that she knew she couldn't have. _Is she thinking about her?_ She asked herself_, is that why she looked so desperate?_ The thought brought an agonizing feeling to Bo's heart, which she was not expecting to have. She couldn't tell if she was a little bit jealous about it, or she just felt sad for Tamsin. She inched forward, pulling herself closer to the Valkyrie, not sure what she was going to do next.

" I supposed I do..." Tamsin subconsciously repeated the last thing she said. She leaned over and pressed her lips on Bo's. Hesitation almost stopped her right before their lips met, but she decided to continue, because this was all she wanted tonight, or any other night before.

Bo closed her eyes when the blonde's lips touched hers. They were soft, warm, and sweet, with a hint of the taste of blood, just as she remembered. She inhaled hard and kissed her back, with her hands running slowly on the blonde's hair. She tucked her hands in her hair and pulled her closer.

Tamsin let out a vague moan. She laid her hand on the succubus' waist, feeling the warmth of her skin on her own. It was then she noticed that Bo slept naked under the blanket, but she didn't stop. She didn't want to, and she couldn't.

Bo moved her hands down. Her fingers caressed across Tamsin's collar bone, then down to her bra. She ran her fingers across her breasts, enjoying the soft, warm feeling on her finger tips. Then she reached her hand to Tamsin's back, and unhooked her bra. She heard the blonde moan when she slid her hands to her breasts and cupped them. She moved her hands further down, sliding her fingers on the blonde's skin. Then she pressed on the gauze pad on her stomach.

" Shit!" Bo cursed. She suddenly remembered that the blonde was injured. She immediately pulled herself away from the kiss . She inhaled painfully, with her forehead on Tamsin's and her eyes closed. She knew she shouldn't go any further. The blonde needed rest. She couldn't risk feeding off her without hurting her.

" You should rest..." Bo murmured. She never realized that she had longed for the Valkyrie this bad until this minute, and it was not just because of her hunger. She wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to make love to her. However, that was not the only thing she wanted, more importantly, she wanted to protect her, to comfort her, to do something for her so the blonde wouldn't have that sad look in her eyes anymore. She laid her hands on Tamsin's waist, lightly pulling her close without pressing on her wounds.

" Ok." Tamsin said. She was still trying to catch her breath from the kiss, the sweetest kiss she had ever had. Being this close with the succubus, she felt warm, and safe.

Bo let Tamsin rest her head against her neck on her shoulder. The warm breath of the Valkyrie's was tickling.

" You know, if you have something on your mind, you can always tell me." Bo said as she turned off the light.

" Nothing that would interest you."

" I doubt it." Bo said, " I'm interested in a lot of things, like for example, we haven't talked about your mission of bringing me in yet."

" Well, I had a task, to bring you to Odin. End of story."

" Why didn't he come to get me? He's supposed to be a powerful God right?"

" What the hell. I guess I'm in a sharing mood tonight." Tamsin sighed, "He didn't know where you were, so he sent me to look for you."

" Then why didn't you bring me in when we first met?"

" I didn't know it was you until your dawning invitation."

" My dawning invitation? You mean in Brazenwood." As soon as the name of the place came out from Bo's mouth, both of them became quiet for a while. Both of them remembered the kiss vividly in Brazenwood.

" Yeah, when you picked the wanderer card, I knew it was you." Tamsin said. She tried to keep the topic on the card, instead of the kiss.

" But that was like months ago, why didn't you bring me in right then?"

" Well." Tamsin said, " You are one hell of an interesting package. I decided to play with you longer."

Bo frowned. She knew the blonde was lying, but she didn't know why. She just stayed quiet for a while, subconsciously running her fingers through the blonde's hair. Then she asked, " Package huh?"

" Yeah, package, a rather cute one." Tamsin said.

" Then what was that all about? The things you said to me in my bathtub?"

Tamsin stiffened. She still regretted that she poured out her thoughts and her feelings to the succubus that day, under the influence of the alcohol, and the fact that she was on a deadline for her mission back then. " Well, in case you haven't noticed, I was totally drunk that day. You don't believe drunken talks, do you?"

Bo went silent for a moment, then asked, " So you don't think I'm perfect, huh?"

Tamsin was startled. For a moment she just didn't know how to answer. She couldn't tell her no, but she couldn't let the word _perfect_ slip out from her lips for the third time either. " You are a pain in the ass, succubus." She said, trying to sound as relaxed as she could.

" So, what's your current mission?" Bo asked, " Odin has new assignment for you, I assume? Whose ass is going to get trapped this time?"

" I guess it's my paid time off now." Tamsin didn't want to tell Bo that Odin wanted her to give Bo a potion so the Valkyrie could force a bond on her. She herself was still trying to digest the news. She never thought it was possible.

" Right. So, what would he have paid you for delivering me?" Bo asked.

" Why?"

" Just want to know how much I'm worth." Bo said.

" He doesn't have to pay anything really. I'm his bitch, remember?" Tamsin said. She knew she shouldn't continue talking to Bo anymore, not if she wanted to keep all her secrets away from Bo. " I'm really tired, and I have a job to go to. Can we sleep now?" She asked.

" Oh, sure." Bo said. She didn't move her hands away from the blonde. She knew she was holding her in her arms, and the blonde had her hands on her waist, as if they were two lovers cuddling in bed together. That thought made her blush a little, but strangely, she was not against it. In fact, she wanted to hold her like this, just like she wanted her to stay, just like she wanted to pull her closer and kiss her.

Bo lowered her head and laid a very light kiss on top of Tamsin's head. " Night." She whispered to the blonde, who was already asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"...Bo, Bo-Bo! Someone's here for you!"

Bo moaned impatiently and rolled over on the bed. Suddenly she realized that the other side of the bed was empty. She opened her eyes and checked. The blonde was gone already.

Bo sat on the bed, with her head in her hands, ignoring Kenzi's yelling. She remembered vaguely that Tamsin left in the early morning, but she couldn't be sure. She grabbed her phone and searched for Tamsin's number. With her fingers pressing lightly on the dialing button, she hesitated. Eventually she ended up sending a text to the blonde.

_Are you ok?_

She felt like she had waited for ages, until her phone beeped.

_Yes. _Was the only word in the text that the blonde replied to her.

Bo sighed. Then she thought, at least Tamsin was ok. She got up and got dressed.

Walking downstairs, Bo felt something strange, as if something weird was floating in the air. She saw a woman sitting on their couch awkwardly, like she was not used to sitting on such a lousy couch at all. She was in her forties, very well dressed, very beautiful.

The woman heard her walking on the stairs, and she raised her head just a little to look at her. She smiled at Bo, with a hint of slyness.

Bo had seen beautiful woman before, but this woman was just stunning. It was not just about how she looked, or how she dressed, but the atmosphere around her, and her eyes. They were light brown, like the color of honey, or amber.

Bo suddenly felt a little bit light headed, as if she just kissed someone for too long.

" I'm sorry, you are...?" Bo asked her as she walked towards her. Then she noticed that Kenzi was standing beside the woman, with an empty smile on her face, as if she was hypnotized.

" My name is Mei." The woman said. Her voice was warm, almost too warm. She shook Bo's hand lightly.

" And you are here because...?"

" I need your help."

" Oh, ok. What do you need?" Bo asked.

" A friend of mine is missing. I want you to find her." Mei's voice was soft, but it also sounded as if she was giving an order instead of making a request.

" Why don't you go to the police?" Bo frowned.

" Because I don't like working with the police." Mei said, " I hear you are the best private investigator in town."

" Well, I'm certainly flattered, but our service is not cheap."

" That won't be a problem. I will pay you with something you want."

" And that would be...?"

A smiled appeared on Mei's face. She stood up and leaned close to Bo. Bo could smell her perfume. " A secret." She whispered, " A secret that you will be interested in."

" In case you haven't heard, I'm good at a lot of stuff, but riddles are not one of them, so maybe you could explain a little more about this _secret_?"

Mei tilted her head, as if she was thinking about something. Then she said, " How about the things related to _the chosen one_?"

" What?" Bo frowned, " Do you really know what that is about?"

" I do, and if you find my friend, I will tell you." Mei said. She took out a photo from her clutch bag and handed it to Bo. It was a photo of a young girl, she was in her twenties, sweet smile, red hair, green eyes, and freckles all over her nose.

" She has a name, right?" Bo asked.

" Hailey, her name is Hailey Brown." Mei said. She handed Bo a piece of paper and added, " Here's her phone number, her address and some other information about her. I hope you find her soon." Then she smiled at Bo, shook her hand again, and left.

The weirdness in the air suddenly disappeared as Mei closed the door behind her. Bo shook her head and narrowed her eyes. " What the hell was that?" She asked.

Kenzi shook her head hard, as if she was waking up from a dream or something. She took a deep breath and said, " Totally no idea, dude. I feel like my mind was just wiped out."

" What type of Fae did she say she was?"

" I didn't ask. I opened the door, and she just walked in and asked for you."

" Well, whatever she is, stay away from her." Bo said, " Now I guess we'll go find this Hailey girl."

" Cool."

Bo called Dyson on their way out, asking him to trace Hailey's cell phone. She decided to go visit Hailey's apartment first, so she could talk to her roommate.

Hailey's apartment was outside a university campus, where she went as a graduate student.

Bo knocked on the door of Hailey's apartment. A few minutes later, a girl came to open the door. She looked pale, and exhausted. From the bloodshot eyes, and the black eye circles, Bo knew this girl stayed up late at night.

" I'm sorry... Can I help you?" The girl asked shyly.

" We are looking for Hailey. She lives here, right?" Bo asked.

" Yeah. She's my roommate, but I haven't seen her for at least three days." The girl said, " Maybe you should call her."

" Hailey's missing." Bo said, " My name is Bo. I'm a private investigator. We are looking for Hailey. Mind if we ask you some questions?"

" Oh, no problem." The girl let them in. She followed them, hesitating. Then she said, " Is Hailey in trouble?"

" We don't know yet. When was the last time you saw her?" Bo looked around in the living room. Other than basic furniture, a few paintings, and an old TV, there was nothing special.

" I think it was three days ago, but I'm not sure. I've been studying really hard for my finals, and I kinda lose track of time sometimes. Could be four days ago..." Hailey's roommate said. She tried hard to think about the time she last saw Hailey, but she failed. " I'm sorry. I really can't remember."

" It's ok." Bo said, " When you last saw her, did it seem like she was acting weird? Or did she tell you anything?"

" No. She got off her class and came home. I was in the kitchen microwaving my dinner, so we chatted for like five minutes, before she went back to her room, and I went back to mine."

" Then you never saw her again?"

" No. The next morning I got up, I think she was already gone. I haven't seen her since."

" I guess you two are not really close, huh?"

" Not really. We're just roommates. I mean, I take messages for her if she's not home, but we don't talk about stuff." The girl smiled with a hint of guilt, " Maybe if we were closer, I'd know where she went."

" Hey, it's not your fault. Does she have any close friends? Family? Boyfriend?"

" No, Hailey is kind of a loner. I've never seen her dating anyone, but... I can't say for sure. I think her parents died when she was a kid. Although, I've seen a woman visit her sometimes. They seemed close."

" This woman, can you describe her?"

" Asian, very beautiful, older than us..." The girl frowned, trying to remember every details, " Oh, her eyes were like the color of amber. There is something weird about this lady, like when you look at her, you just can't think of anything at all."

" Ok. I think that's our client." Bo said, " Did Hailey have any other visitors?"

" I don't know... last week I came home from the grocery store, I saw a woman talking to Hailey at the door. I've never seen her before. It looked like Hailey didn't want to let her in. Then she left. I asked Hailey who it was, but she didn't tell me."

" What does this woman look like?" Bo asked.

" Caucasian, tall, blonde, attractive."

" Did you hear what they were talking about?"

" No, I was too far away."

" Can you think of anything else that might tell us where Hailey is right now?"

" No. I'm sorry. I guess you can check her room." The girl said, " I'm sorry. I have to go back to study now."

" Ok, thanks. If you think of anything, or by any chance Hailey contacts you, can you give us a call?" Bo handed her a card. The girl nodded. Then she went back to her own room and closed the door.

Bo and Kenzi checked Hailey's room, but they didn't find anything useful, other than the fact that Hailey was really a loner. They found no photos of her with other people, no contacts in her contact book.

" So a loner girl disappears...where could she be...?" Bo murmured. Then she heard her phone beeping. It was Dyson. He sent her the coordinates of the last known location of Hailey's phone.

" Ok. I guess I'll go take a look at this place..." Bo said. She turned to Kenzi, who was texting the whole time.

" Yeah... I'm gonna...go do something." Kenzi said, " Just let me know."

" Ok." Bo said, with her eyes narrowed.

Bo drove to the location where Dyson sent her by herself. It was in the woods, in the middle of nowhere.

_Why would Hailey come to a place like this?_ Bo asked herself. She felt something was not right, but she couldn't tell what it was. She walked around in the woods for a while, but didn't see anything abnormal.

Then she saw an abandoned vacation house and she walked towards it, thinking that maybe she might find some clues there.

The wooden house had cracks everywhere. It looked like it had been abandoned a long time ago. The locks were too rusty to hold the door together. Bo pushed lightly on the door, with her dagger in her right hand.

The door creaked and opened, as if it was about to fall off the door frame. The sound scared the rats inside. Bo saw the rodents rushed to their dens to hide from her. She slowly walked in. She could hear the cracking sounds made by the wooden floor under her feet. For a moment, she was not sure if she should go in, because she was afraid that the floor would broke and she would fall into it.

The house was totally empty. Anything left in there was either rotten or chewed by the rodents. It smelt like a mixture of mold, trash, dirt and feces from the rodents inside. Bo frowned. She continued checking all the rooms, but she found nothing.

As she was about to leave, she heard the floor cracking behind her, as if someone was walking towards her. She immediately gripped her dagger tight and turned around.

" Tamsin?" Bo exclaimed with her eyes wide open. The Valkyrie was standing right in front of her, holding a gun and pointing it at her. She was equally surprised.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

" What the fuck are you doing here?" Tamsin asked as she frowned. She put her gun back into its holster.

" I was gonna ask you the same thing." Bo said. She put her dagger back into her boot. " You're not following me, are you?"

" I am not." The Valkyrie frowned at Bo, as if it was the most unbelievable thing she had ever heard. " I'm working on a case."

" Why isn't Dyson with you?"

" A case of my own." Tamsin said.

" Hmmm... by any chance, your case involve a missing girl?" Bo asked.

" How the hell did you know?" Tamsin asked. Her eyebrows furrowed.

" I'm looking for a missing girl too. Hailey, is it?"

" What? No, I'm looking for a girl named Amy. A friend of those kitsune sluts."

" And evidence you have on this Amy girl lead to here too?" Bo was a little bit surprised.

" I traced her phone. Last known location was around here somewhere." Tamsin said, " And you...?"

" Well, a client of mine asked me to look for this Hailey girl. I asked Dyson to trace her phone, and it lead to here too." Bo said, " This is really weird. What are the odds that two girls would just come to the middle of nowhere and disappear?"

" Definitely not a coincidence, that I can say for sure." Tamsin said. She stood there, frowning, as if she was thinking about something. After a while, she continued, "When did your Hailey disappear?"

" According to her roommate, three or four days ago. What about yours?"

" Two days ago. Any clues?"

" No. Her roommate did mention some blonde talked to her last week though. That wasn't you, was it?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo and shook her head. " Come on, let's see if we can find anything here." She said to Bo.

Bo nodded. She actually felt happy that she would be working on the same thing with Tamsin right now.

" What exactly are we looking for here?" After half an hour of searching around the vacation house, Bo asked Tamsin.

" Anything out of ordinary." The Valkyrie said. She was looking at every inch of the ground around her. Suddenly she noticed something shiny among the leaves and twigs on the ground. She knew she wouldn't have noticed it if it was not for the reflection of the sun on it. " Like this." She picked it up and examined it. It was a part of some kind of jewelry.

" Wait. I think I've seen that somewhere." Bo said. She took out the photo of Hailey from her pocket and showed it to Tamsin. Hailey was wearing a pendent in the photo, and the thing Tamsin found looked like a part of that pendent.

" Well, looks like your girl has been here at least." Tamsin said.

" Why would a college student come to a place like this?"

" Maybe she is dating a tree hugger or something." Tamsin smirked. She walked a little further away from the house, trying to find some other clues.

Bo followed her, but the Valkyrie was walking too fast. She tripped. Before she hit the ground, Tamsin grabbed her by her waist.

" When are you going to learn to keep your feet on the ground and your ass away from it?" Tamsin asked. She didn't realize that her hands were still on Bo's waist, and Bo's chest was pressing on hers.

Bo didn't reply. She breathed heavily. Her eyes were staring at the blonde's soft, pink lips. She leaned over and kissed Tamsin, with her hands on the blonde's face. It was something she wanted to do ever since she saw her today. She had wanted it so badly, that she thought maybe her body tripped itself on purpose, so she could get close to the Valkyrie.

Tamsin couldn't breathe. She felt like her mind was wiped out. Both of them just stood there, kissing each other, with their tongue, and their lips, as if they just couldn't get enough of it.

A bird took off from the tree, leaving a trail of chirping sound. Like suddenly waking up, Tamsin opened her eyes wide and pulled herself back. She turned her head away to avoid looking into those brown eyes of Bo's.

" We...emmm...we better get going. Those missing girls aren't going to appear themselves." Tamsin said as she cleared her throat.

" Yeah..." Bo said as she was trying to catch her breath. The Valkyrie's taste on her lips burnt her like flames.

" Well, since we found a piece of Hailey's pendent, I'd say she has definitely been here. We need to figure out where she went." Tamsin walked around the house again, trying to find something that could indicate where the girl went.

Bo followed her. For the second time they checked the back side of that abandoned house. Bo noticed something. " Look at the basement hatch door." She said, " The rust on the bolt looks like it has been cleaned recently."

" That's strange. This place looks like it's been abandoned at least for a few good years..." Tamsin drew her gun out in her right hand, and pulled the bolt out on the door. " Stay behind me, ok?" She told Bo.

" I can take care of myself, you know..." Bo murmured. The Valkyrie answered her with a huff of laugh.

The moment Tamsin opened the hatch door, both of them almost threw up. A strong, nasty smell came out from the basement, as if something had died and rotted in there.

Tamsin cocked her gun. She stepped down slowly. The basement was dark, they both turned on their flashlights.

The basement looked unfinished, but there were several items down there. There were two chairs, and a platform bed. Tamsin checked the rooms first, making sure there was no one in there. Then she looked at the furniture, and frowned. " These are probably not new, but they don't look like they've been sitting here for years either. Someone must have brought them in recently."

" But why?"

" My guess? Maybe someone is squatting here." Tamsin grabbed the flashlight from Bo's hand, looking closely on the platform bed. There was no bedding of any kind on it, but some dark red stain. Tamsin frowned. She took a kit out from her pocket, taking a sample using the cotton swab. Then she dipped it into a test tube. Seconds later, the liquid in the test tube turned from transparent to red.

" It's blood. Fae blood." Tamsin said, " This does not feel good..."

" You think it's Hailey's, or Amy's?" Bo asked.

" I don't know..." Tamsin straightened herself. She looked around in the basement with the flashlight in her hand.

It didn't take long for them to find two abandoned cell phones under the bed. They were smashed, with blood stains on them. Tamsin put them in her evidence bags. Then she noticed something under the bed.

There was a wood board under the bed, it looked new. She lifted it up, and found a tunnel under it.

" Shit!" Tamsin cursed, " This is getting weirder."

Bo and Tamsin climbed down into the tunnel. It was completely dark in there. The only light was from their flashlights.

" So...do you think someone dug this tunnel?" Bo asked. She was not really interested in the answer. She just wanted to talk about something, so the awkward silence would go away.

" Obviously. Tunnels don't dig themselves out, ok?" Tamsin said. She rolled her eyes in the dark.

" Well-" Bo was cut off by the sudden died out flashlight. She shook it, but it wouldn't light up. " Shit!" Bo said, " I guess the battery just died."

" Next time, check your equipments before you go on a mission like this, ok?" The Valkyrie sighed.

Bo wanted to say something, but she didn't, because Tamsin grabbed her hand and held it in hers. Bo was too startled to move, until the Valkyrie pulled her lightly.

" Come on. We can't stay in here forever." The blonde said.

Bo didn't know how long they walked. It felt like forever, before they finally saw an exit. They walked out, and found themselves on the other side of the wood area.

" Oh, it's actually pretty close to where I parked my truck." Tamsin smirked. She let go of Bo's hand, as if nothing had happened.

" Ok. So we found blood back there, and some new furniture, and a tunnel which lead us here..." Bo said, " You think Hailey and Amy went through the tunnel too?"

" I'm afraid so." Tamsin said. She pointed at the ground close to the exit of the tunnel, and continued, " Look, more blood, and it looks like a trail."

" Like someone is bleeding and is dragged by something?"

" Exactly." Tamsin said.

They followed the trail of blood and a few minutes later, they came to a cave. The blood trail lead inside.

Tamsin still had her gun in her hand. Bo followed her. They both walked slowly into the cave.

They could smell something, as if there were some animals dwelling in the cave. However, instead of any animals, they saw two people lying at the end of the cave.

" Hey, that's Hailey!" Bo said. She ran to her, checking her pulse, but there was none. The body was already cold.

" And that's Amy." Tamsin checked the pulse of the other body, " She's dead too."

" Fuck!" Bo cursed. She felt that something was not right ever since they went down to the basement, but she didn't expect that they would find their bodies so soon.

" Ok. I think this is officially police business now." Tamsin said, " Two dead bodies. I have to call it in."

While Bo waited for her to finish her call, she examined the bodies. Both bodies had multiple bleeding wounds on them. They also looked like they were beaten really hard.

Tamsin finished her call. She came to Bo's side and looked at the bodies. " The bite marks on their neck and shoulder...looks like some sort of animal made them. Probably it dragged them here."

" Yeah, but look at those bruises on their wrists and ankles. They were tied up. Animals don't do that."

" Let's just -" Tamsin couldn't finished her sentence, because they both heard a low growl from behind.

They looked at each other before they both turned around. They saw a huge animal in front of them. It looked like a lion, only much larger and with the tail of a scorpion. Its face looked much like a human's, but at the same time, like a monster. It had a smell of the rotted corpse and blood.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

" Shit! A Manticore! I thought they only lived in the fucking deserts!" Tamsin fired a shot directly at the monster, but he just shook his head, as if nothing had happened. It was then that Tamsin realized that normal bullets couldn't kill a Manticore. She cursed and threw her gun away. She pulled her dagger out in her hand, and stood in front of Bo. She had killed Manticores before, but she had better weapons then, and it was definitely not in a small, confined place like this cave right now.

Bo drew her dagger out in her hand too, although she didn't know what she could do. She had never fought a monster like this before.

" Don't get stung. The poison will paralyze you, and it hurts like fuck." Tamsin told Bo, with her eyes staring at the monster in front of them.

The Manticore roared. He sounded pissed, but he didn't move immediately. He stared at them, as if he was trying to figure out which one of them would be the easier prey. Then suddenly he pounced towards Bo. Bo jerked herself aside and fell on the ground. The monster turned and dashed to her, with one of its feet on Bo's stomach. He growled loudly. His saliva fell on Bo like rain.

Tamsin ran to the monster, grabbing its fur on its back. She pulled herself onto the back of the Manticore and moved forward. The Manticore felt her on his back. He shook heavily, trying to throw Tamsin off. Tamsin gripped his neck and slit his throat with the dagger in her hand. She knew it was the only way she could kill the monster with such a small weapon. She cut so deep that she could feel the blade dragging across the Manticore's bone.

The Manticore howled loudly. He curled his tail towards Tamsin, making a last effort to sting her, but Tamsin rolled off him before the sting could reach her. The Manticore fell on the ground, making a loud noise. Blood pooled under him and he was twitching. Eventually he died and stopped moving.

" Thanks." Bo said. She sat up on the ground, letting out a deep breath.

" And someone told me she could take care of herself." Tamsin smirked. She wiped the blood off her blade on the Manticore's body and sheathed it. " I guess this cave is his lair. He must have dragged the bodies here. Faes and humans are Manticore's favorite food, alive or dead."

" But it still doesn't explain how those girl got here in the first place." Bo said.

Tamsin checked the bodies again. " They looked like they were tortured. Look at their hands, someone broke all of their fingers. They've been beaten really badly too."

" You think maybe it's a very wicked serial killer maybe?"

" We have to wait for lab reports before we jump to any conclusions, but yeah, the killer is very cruel." Tamsin said. She checked her phone again. The police were on their way.

" So we just wait here?" Bo turned around, facing Tamsin.

" Pretty much." Tamsin put her phone back into her pocket. She was about to turn around and walk out from the cave, but she heard Bo gasping and yelling " Watch out!" to her.

Tamsin didn't know what was going on but she instantly drew her dagger out again. She watched the brunette throw herself at her and grabbed her by her waist. The brunette jerked both of them aside, and they both fell on the ground.

Then she heard Bo screaming. It was then she realized that another Manticore was standing in front of them. It was a female, even larger than the previous one.

The Manticore had her tail pierced through Bo's stomach. The brunette clenched her fists tightly. She was in great pain, but she couldn't make a sound. The Manticore roared, and swung its tail to throw Bo off to the corner of the cave.

" Shit! Shit!" Tamsin ran to Bo. She felt like her heart had just stopped. Bo tried to sit up with her dagger in her hand, but she just couldn't. She gasped hard, looking at Tamsin, trying everything she could to overcome the excruciating pain. She trembled, dropping her dagger on the ground. With a loud scream escaping from her throat, she couldn't help but lie down.

" Just lie still. It's the Manticore's poison." Tamsin said as she ran around in the cave, drawing the monster away from Bo.

" Fuck! This is the worse fucking day ever! Five percent chance of a Manticore dwelling with his mate and it has to be fucking right now!" Tamsin cursed as she ran around in the cave, trying to figure out a strategy. She tried to focus on the fight, but she just couldn't. Bo's painful screams were really distracting, even if she knew that most of the pain was caused by the poison, not the wound. She just couldn't help herself turning around to look at Bo.

The Manticore swung her tail at Tamsin. Tamisn dodged it, then stabbed the monster with her dagger. It felt like she had hit her dagger on a piece of steel. The tail hit her so hard that it knocked the dagger from her hand. She saw where her weapon had landed and the Manticore was standing between her and her dagger. Tamsin rolled herself under the Manticore to grab her dagger on the other side of the cave, but just as her fingers were about to touch it, the Manticore swung her tail again and the dagger flew away. Tamsin pulled her hand back just fast enough to avoid her fingers being cut off by the sharp spikes on the tail.

Tamsin took a deep breath. She ran to Bo and picked up her dagger before the Manticore could turn around to get her. Bo's dagger was even shorter than hers, but it was the only weapon she could get her hands on right now that might stand a chance against the Manticore.

Tamsin tried to get onto the Manticore's back, just like how she killed the first one, but the monster shook her off. Tamsin fell on the ground. She felt the pain on her elbows, but there was no time for that. She stood up and faced the Manticore. The monster crutched down, then she dashed to her, howling.

At that moment Tamsin had an idea. She knew either it was going to work, or both of them were going to die here, and she knew she had to risk it. Tamsin stood there, and right before the Manticore reached her, she dropped to her knees, and held the dagger in both hands above her head. She thrust it into the Manticore's throat when the monster flew right above her. The Manticore couldn't stop as her body dragged across the shape blade and disemboweled her.

Tamsin felt the blood and guts falling on her like rain, but she couldn't care less. When the monster landed behind her with a loud thud, she staggered to her feet and ran to Bo, tapping her face. " Hey!" She whispered to Bo.

Bo was still conscious, but the pain caused by the poison was just too overwhelming. She wanted to say something but she couldn't.

" I need you to feed off me so you will stop bleeding. We'll deal with the poison when we get home, ok?" Tamsin said as she stared into the brunette's eyes.

Bo couldn't even nod. She blinked a few times to let Tamsin know that she agreed.

Tamsin quickly pressed her lips on Bo's. The second their lips met, Bo started to draw Chi out of her. Tamsin could taste nothing but the Manticore's blood on her lips. She broke the kiss after a minute or two. She checked the wound on Bo's stomach. It had already healed.

Tamsin felt lucky that her truck was nearby. She carried Bo to her truck and gently put the brunette in the passenger seat. Then she got into her truck and start driving.

Bo cleared her throat, and coughed. Her whole body was quivering because of the pain.

" Just stay still. The poison is working its way through your body, you'll probably be experiencing the paralysis soon." Tamsin said to her. Bo gasped. She started to feel the numbness in her legs. The pain was still there, as if every inch of her body had been crushed. Eventually she blacked out. The last thing she remembered was the Valkyrie holding her hand.

* * *

The next time Bo opened her eyes, she found herself in the shower. She saw the water falling on her body, and she could see the steam everywhere, but she couldn't feel the water hitting her skin, nor could she feel the heat in the air.

She saw the blonde standing in front of her. Blood and water flowling off both of their bodies, as if they were bathing in blood.

Bo couldn't move. She couldn't feel any part of her body. The only thing she could feel right now was the pain. It was too painful, that she felt like all her nerve endings were about to explode. She knew the blonde was probably holding her by her waist, otherwise she would not be standing right now.

Tamsin saw her open her eyes. She pulled her closer and pressed her lips on Bo's again. Bo gasped and closed her eyes. At first she couldn't even feel the Chi flowing into her, but after a while, her senses slowly came back to her. First she felt the hot water. Then she felt the warmth from the Valkyrie's skin. Then the softness of her skin. Then finally, the soft, sweet lips of the blonde's on hers, and her tongue exploring in her mouth.

Bo could feel her arms and legs again. The agonizing pain finally disappeared. She slowly moved her hands up to cup Tamsin's face and pressed herself against the blonde so hard that the blonde fell back a step. Eventually the blonde pressed her back against the cold tiles on the wall. Bo ran her fingers through the Valkyrie's hair and pulled her closer. Her tongue slid across the blonde's lips, then her jaw line, then her ear.

Tamsin moaned. Then gentle sucking on her ear lobe drove her crazy. She threw her head back and closed her eyes. Then the kisses moved down to her neck, and then to her chest. She almost screamed when the succubus took her nipple into her mouth.

Bo sucked Tamsin's nipples playfully, with her teeth lightly biting them. She had to stop and rest her head on the blonde's chest for a few times for some air. Then she continued kissing down to her stomach. The soft skin of the blonde felt like silk. She nibbled her until the blonde moaned again.

Bo kneeled down in the tub, and spread the blonde's legs. Lifting one of the blonde's leg on her shoulder, she feathered her core with her tongue. She felt the blonde quivering hard, as if she was about to fall. Then she felt the light pull on her hair, the blonde wanted her to get closer. Bo chuckled. She lightly sucked the blonde's clit, and enjoyed the fact that the woman was trying desperately to suppress her screams. The Valkyrie dug her fingers into Bo's hair hard and screamed out loud when she came on Bo's tongue.

Bo stood up, with her left hand holding the blonde by her waist. She knew if she let her go, the blonde was going to fall. The Valkyrie was still trying to catch her breath, when Bo thrust two fingers inside her, caressing the sweet spot of hers. Tamsin quivered again and buried her head on Bo's shoulder. Bo lowered her head and met the Valkyrie's lips with hers. She started to draw her energy again, with her fingers thrusting inside of her. The screams of the blonde's soon vanished, because she could no longer make a sound. She tightened around Bo's fingers, and climaxed again. Bo broke the kiss, letting her fall from the peak.

" We...emm...we better get out... the hot water...is...about to...run out..." Tamsin murmured as she rested her forehead on Bo's.

" Ok..." Bo grabbed a towel and wrapped them both in it. They started to kiss again, while they moved from the bathroom to Tamsin's bed.

Bo was thrown onto the bed. She bounced. Then the blonde topped her. Tamsin reached down in between her legs and chuckled. The brunette was soaking wet already. With absolutely no warning, she tucked her fingers in the brunette, causing her to arch her back away from the bed. With her thumb on her clit, she thrust into the succubus, so hard and fast that the succubus never dropped her back to the bed. Bo grabbed the pillow and pressed it on her face, to muffle the screams when she orgasmed underneath the blonde.

They kissed again. This time, just soft, sweet kisses, with their hands on each other's face. It was a while before their pounding hearts and their heavy breathing returned to normal.

They eventually calmed down on the bed, cuddling with each other. Tamsin closed her eyes. She was just so exhausted. The last thing she knew was Bo laid her arms on her waist and pulled her closer.

Bo woke up in the middle of the night. She stared at the ceiling for a while, then she realized that she had been attacked and poisoned by a Manticore, and Tamsin saved her again. The blonde was lying beside her right now, sleeping.

Bo looked at her for a while. She leaned over and kissed her forehead. Then she got off the bed quietly. She was parched, and she desperately needed some water.

Tamsin's fridge was awfully empty, but there were bottles of water. Bo grabbed one and started to drink. The cold, clean water ran through her throat. It felt so good that she closed her eyes and sighed.

Then she felt a hand on her waist. It scared her a little, but she quickly realized that it was Tamsin.

" Anyone ever tell you not to block the fridge?" Tamsin said to her as she pulled her away from the fridge so she could get a bottle of water for herself. Then she walked to the couch in the living room and sat down to enjoy her drink.

Bo followed her. She sat down beside the blonde. For a while, neither of them said anything. They just sat next to each other, and drink their water silently.

" I...emmm...thanks for saving my life again..." Eventually Bo broke the silence, because she felt that if she stayed quiet for any longer, it would become awkward.

" Wow, if I could have a nickel for every time I've heard that..." Tamsin turned to Bo and smirked. She tilted her head back a little to have some more water, but her eyes never left Bo's eyes.

" Let me ask you something." Bo said after she swallowed the water in her mouth, " How come every time I needed someone, you were always there?"

Tamsin almost choked. She turned away and cleared her throat. " Well, my orders were to bring you in, alive, so..."

" But you are not on any mission anymore, now are you?"

" What if he wants you in the future? I have to be prepared, right?" Tamsin scrunched her nose at Bo.

Bo frowned. She looked at the Valkyrie, but the Valkyrie turned away from her again. Her blue eyes shimmered in the darkness. Bo couldn't tell what she was thinking, but she couldn't move her eyes away from the blonde. Eventually she put down the bottle in her hand. She grabbed the bottle in Tamsin's hand and put it down too. Tamsin raised her eyebrows, looking at Bo, as if she was asking what Bo was doing.

Bo let out a deep breath. She leaned close and pressed her lips on Tamsin's. She inhaled when their lips met. The blonde's lips were cold, but intoxicatingly sweet. Something inside Bo was pounding hard. It was not her heart, nor was it her hunger. It was something Bo felt every time when she was with the blonde. It was something she was afraid of, but at the same time, excited about.

" I thought you were fully healed..." The blonde murmured when both of them stopped to catch some air.

" I was..." Bo admitted, with her lips pressing on the blonde's again. She moved her hands up from her waist to her chest, cupping her breasts.

" Then what do you want from me..." Tamsin said. She pulled herself back, with her hands caressing the brunette's face slowly. She gazed into those warm, brown eyes. They were so pretty, that she was not sure if she was dreaming right now.

Bo stared back. She saw the look appear in Tamsin's eyes again, the vulnerable, painful look, which made her heart ache. Bo took a few deep breaths. She didn't know what to say to the blonde. She didn't even know what she wanted from her, so she decided that she should say nothing. She leaned closer and kissed the blonde again. Bo's blood was boiling because of the burning sensation of the kiss, and she just dwelt in it with her eyes closed.

Tamsin was trying everything she could, not to get burnt by the succubus' passion, because the brunette heated her up like a torch of flames. She melted in the kiss in seconds.

Bo moved closer and sat on Tamsin's lap, never pulling her lips away. Her hands moved from the Valkyrie's chest to her waist, then lower. She circled her middle finger lightly around the blonde's clit. The Valkyrie bit her lips to stop the moans. Bo smiled. She stopped her moving hand, and lowered her head to give the blonde a kiss. Then she thrust into her. Tamsin threw her head back and grabbed the side of the couch. Seconds later she reached her hands to the brunette and held her tightly, with her teeth sunk in her shoulder.

Bo was still sitting on Tamsin's lap. They were looking at each other in the dark, as if they didn't know what to do next. Neither of them said anything.

Eventually, Bo rested her head on Tamsin's shoulder, with her eyes closed. Tamsin slowly lied down on the couch, letting the succubus rest on her chest. She knew there were more than one thousand reasons why she shouldn't do this, but she just couldn't let her go.

* * *

**A/N: DelusionalDaydreams, grats! The monster is in fact a Manticore, well, two :)**

**I made up the mate part. I don't know if a Manticore would live with its mate. I got the idea from Torchlight II, where they put a Manticore and its mate in the boss fight to make it hard. And it served the same purpose in my story, to make the fight harder and to make a feeding scene possible. For the paralysis part, I used to play Heroes of Might and Magic III, and the manticores in there can paralyze their enemies, so I guess they could probably do that!**

**Thanks for all the reviewers and the readers! You guys are the best!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Tamsin got a call from Dyson in the very early morning. He demanded her to come to the precinct as soon as possible. Tamsin agreed. She stretched herself on the couch. Then she realized that Bo was sleeping on top of her. The two of them had cuddled on the couch last night like two cats. The succubus buried her face in her chest, and Tamsin still has her hands around her waist.

Tamsin hesitated about whether she should wake the succubus up or not, but before she had made up her mind, Bo's phone rang. The loud sound woke up the succubus. Tamsin picked up the phone from the floor and handed it to her.

" Dyson...It's like four in the morning..." Bo said in her sleepy voice, " What?...Fine, I'm on my way." She hung up her phone and said to Tamsin in a confused tone, " Dyson asked for my help with the dead bodies we found in the cave. I thought that was gonna be police business..."

" Maybe he already has a suspect and wants you to interrogate him or something." Tamsin watched Bo rolled off her and stood up. She got up from the couch too. Neither of them made any comment on the fact that they had been cuddling on the couch for the entire night, nor did they say anything about what happened yesterday.

Bo picked up her clothes from the floor. She looked at them, and said, " Shit! My clothes are all bloody and dirty..."

" I guess you can wear something of mine. Come on, he sounded urgent on the phone. Maybe there was some breakthrough on the case." Tamsin went to her closet and found a tank top and a pair of jeans for Bo. She threw them to Bo, and then threw the bloody clothes into the washer.

Bo got dressed. She blushed when she smelt the lingering perfume of Tamsin's on the clothes, as if the blonde had her arms around her.

* * *

Forty minutes later, they arrived at the police station. Dyson nodded to them when he saw them coming in. Then he frowned, because he recognized the clothes on Bo were Tamsin's. He hesitated, not sure if he should ask them about it. Eventually he decided not to.

" CSU is still processing the scenes, both the cave and the abandoned vacation house, but they do have some preliminary results for us. The two bodies belong to Hailey and Amy." Dyson said, " But that's not the whole story. The CSU dissected those two dead Manticores. They found partially digested bodies inside them. Since both bodies we found in the cave are in one piece, we believe that there were more victims. And the evidence from the abandoned house confirmed it. There was blood from two other people found there, other than Hailey and Amy's."

" So there are four deaths in total." Tamsin said, frowning. " Are we dealing with a serial killer here? Is the basement the first crime scene? And how the hell did those two Manticores end up in the woods? I thought they normally live in the desert."

" I don't know about the Manticore part, nor the first crime scene part. But according to the autopsy results, both girls were tortured before they were strangled to death." Dyson said. He opened the file folder in his hand, and added, " Oh and get this, all four victims were Kitsunes."

" Hailey was a Kistune?" Bo said in surprise.

" You don't know who you were looking for when you took your case?" Tamsin asked her.

" No. I didn't ask." Bo shook her head. " So we are dealing a Kitsune killer?"

" Well, that's what we're calling the killer right now." Dyson said, " We've already warned the Kitsune clan, just in case this killer is still in hunting mode."

" Why do you need me here?" Bo asked.

" Actually, it's not me. Someone specifically asked for you to be on this case. She demanded we either put you on this case too, or she was gonna deal with the case her way."

" Who?" Bo asked.

" She's waiting for you over there." Dyson pointed at the waiting room.

" Isn't that the clan leader of the Kitsune?" Tamsin frowned when she saw the face of the woman who was waiting for Bo.

" That's my client!" Bo exclaimed as she recognized her face. It was Mei. She was dressed a little more casually this time, but Bo could never forget her amber eyes.

" What? The Kitsune clan leader reached out to you privately?" Dyson asked with his eyes narrowed.

" Yeah. It was her who asked me to look for Hailey." Bo said.

" This is gonna be fun." Tamsin rolled her eyes and said.

* * *

Mei turned around the moment Bo and Tamsin walked into the waiting room. Bo felt the strange atmosphere again.

" I'm sorry. I...emmm...we found Hailey, but..." Bo said to Mei.

Mei smiled. She waved her hand, as if she was telling Bo to stop apologizing. She sat down on a chair and looked at Bo. " Can't say that I haven't foreseen this. This is what I was afraid of, and it happened."

" What do you mean? You mean Hailey's death?"

Mei shook her head. " Yes and no." She said, " Someone was hunting her."

" Yeah, we know, a Kitsune killer."

" Not exactly. The killer chose his target carefully." Mei said.

" Do you know something that we don't?" Tamsin asked her. She sensed that the Kitsune leader knew something.

" The four deaths, have you managed to ID all of them?" Mei asked Tamsin.

" Well, we got Hailey and Amy. We are still trying to identify the other two."

" Then let me save you some trouble. All four of them were the descendants of one Kitsune family."

" What? How do you know?" Tamsin was even more confused.

" One, I'm their leader. Two, we foxes know things." Mei stared at her. Bo watched them, but she couldn't tell what Mei was thinking. She just looked blank on her face.

" If you really want us to find the killer, you better start to tell me the things you know." Tamsin crossed her arms in front of her chest.

" This family... they are famous for one thing... visions of the future."

" So you mean they are prophets?"

" Not everyone in the family can do that, but yes, it runs in the family. We keep their identities as a deep secret to avoid situations...like this. In fact, only a handful of Kitsunes know about this family."

" Well, sounds to me like you have a mole."

" Maybe, maybe not. If there is a mole, I'll deal with it my way." Mei said.

" Your way?" Bo was confused. She remembered that Dyson said the same thing about she would deal it in her way.

" Emmm...she meant she would change to her true form and devour whoever it is." Tamsin whispered to Bo.

" True form?"

" God, you are such a baby Fae." Tamsin rolled her eyes at her, " Her true form is a giant, white monster fox, with nine tails."

" Oh." Bo nodded. She stared at Mei. She just couldn't relate this beautiful woman to a giant monster fox. She was staring at Bo too. Her eyes were moving between Bo and Tamsin, with that sly smile on her face.

" Let's continue taking about the case, shall we?" Mei said.

" So let me get this straight. You are saying that whoever the killer is, he is hunting the fox prophets?" Tamsin frowned.

Mei didn't answer her question, instead she said, " You look like a detective with good instincts, Valkyrie. Tell me, what was your first impression when you saw the bodies in the cave?"

" That they were tortured. And the way they were tortured..." Tamsin said, frowning.

" Why would someone torture possible prophets?"

" To get information..." Tamsin said, " Wait, you think this killer killed them not because of who they were, but what they knew?"

" Maybe." Mei smiled, " I think I've said too much. The rest police work."

" Then what am I doing here?" Bo asked.

" You. You are special, succubus. Find the killer, and I'll complete the deal." Mei smiled to her slyly. Bo suddenly realized that Mei was standing very close to her, and she was leaning closer. Strangely, Bo couldn't move. She felt like her mind was wiped out and she was only half conscious. She felt that Mei pinched her chin lightly, as if she was about to kiss her. Bo opened her eyes wide. She didn't know what to do. When Mei's lips were about to touch hers, her amber eyes turned to Tamsin. When she saw the look on Tamsin's face, she chuckled and laid her lips on Bo's cheek instead of her lips. " Don't let me down, Chosen one." She whispered to Bo, with her eyes still on Tamsin's face.

Mei winked at Bo before she walked out of the room.

The tension in the air suddenly dropped. Bo gasped and said, " What was that? Did you feel that?"

" It's the Kitsune's glamour." Tamsin said.

" That's the first time I have sensed their glamour power." Bo shook her head with her eyes wide open, " Can all Kitsunes do this?"

" Yes, but only powerful ones like her can affect you like this." Tamsin paused. She tilted her head and smirked, " Or maybe it was just your succubus instinct kicking in when you saw a hot chick."

" Oh it's definitely something she cast on me..." Bo said. She was still trying to figure out what Mei meant by saying she was special. Then she felt the Valkyrie's hand on her face. Bo looked at her, startled.

" Her lipstick mark." The Valkyrie said. She rubbed Bo's face a few times till she wiped it off.

" Oh..." Bo suddenly felt a little bit awkward to be this close with the blonde, especially with her hand on her face.

" Come on, let's go discuss the case. We have a serial killer to catch." Tamsin said as she turned around and left the room.

* * *

The three of them spent almost all day on the case, looking for clues, but they didn't make much progress on it. Most of the evidence was still being processed by the CSU people, and they hadn't really finished sweeping the crime scenes yet.

Eventually they all decided to call it a day. Tamsin dropped Bo off at her place. Then she went home. It was all quiet and dark. Suddenly she felt irritated again. She sat down on the couch and leaned back. That was when she noticed a hint of Bo's perfume was still lingering in the air. It was so subtle that it was almost unnoticeable, yet she still picked it up. She couldn't help but think about what happened last night, how they sat on the couch in the darkness, how the succubus kissed her and made love to her, how they cuddled afterwards. Eventually she just sighed and lied down.

Tamsin thought she fell asleep, but when she opened her eyes, she knew she was not sleeping. She was pulled by Odin.

The one-eyed God was standing in front of her. He was staring at her, but Tamsin couldn't tell if he was happy, or not.

" What do you want?" Tamsin asked.

" I've heard a earful about you from Svafa." Odin paced around slowly, with both of his hands behind his back. He was still holding his walking stick, but he was not using it.

" If you want to punish me for what I did to her, be my guest. Hey, it's not like you haven't done that before."

" I don't give a damn about your bar fight. However, I do need you to do one thing for me." Odin said.

" No can do." Tamsin said with a smirk on her face.

" Give Bo the potion. I've already found the strongest Valkyrie. Once she takes the potion, they can bond." Odin said, " It's not like the potion is going to hurt her. It will only make her stronger."

" But against her own will."

" Why do you care?!" Odin suddenly growled in anger, " Don't grow a conscience on me now. Think about how much blood you already have on your hands. Think about how many marks you've brought to me, alive or dead. And now you care if it is against her will?"

" Blah blah blah. Are you done talking?"

" Tamsin, my dear." Odin smiled to her and said, " I guess I'll just have to be blunt. I'll give you three days. Either you get her to drink the potion, or your life cycle ends and you don't get reborn. So, either she takes the potion, or you die forever. Your choice."

Tamsin wanted to say something, but before she could, Odin's hand was already pressing on her forehead. With a strong push, she woke up on her own couch.

Tamsin gasped and sat up. Then she felt that she was holding a small vial in her hand. It looked exactly the same as the one Svafa gave her.

She looked at the vial closely, as if she was trying to figure out whether she was still in a dream. The dark liquid in the vial swirled as she turned it in her hand. She played with it unconsciously for a while. Then she closed her hand and squeezed it hard. Eventually the vial broke. The liquid flew through her fingers and down to the floor. It magically disappeared, as if it had never existed. The glass shards cut her hand and it started to bleed a little. Tamsin cursed and grabbed a towel to wrap it up.

She lied back to the couch and huffed out a laugh. " Three days, huh?" She murmured to herself, with her right hand resting on her forehead. Death had been haunting her for a long time, and she knew she was scared of it, at least when she thought about it. But now, knowing for sure that she was going to die in three days, she felt calmer than she ever did.

_We all have to make choices, don't we?_ She said to herself. She knew when she decided that she should drive her truck to hit Bo's father, she had already made that choice. The only result of that choice was death, and it was the only destination at the end of her journey. Strangely, all she could feel right now was peace, as if she had waited for this exact moment for a long time, and it had finally come.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. She didn't know if it was her imagination, or if the succubus' perfume really was lingering in the air. It smelt like some sort of flower, sweet and soft, just like her lips, just like her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Despite the fact that it was almost midnight, Tamsin decided to go out for a drink. She needed some loud music and strong booze to forget about Odin and her three day deadline, and she couldn't sleep anyway. She went to her favorite dark fae bar instead of the Dal, because she just wanted to be alone.

After a few drinks, instead of feeling drunk, Tamsin felt even more sober. She didn't know if what she was feeling right now was, sadness, pain or just peace. She just sat there and drank one shot after another.

Just as she was about to down another drink. Someone came by and sat down beside her.

" Massimo." Tamsin looked at the druid sitting beside her, " What the fuck are you doing here?"

" I'm here to see you." Massimo put one of his hands on the table and said to Tamsin.

" Well, here I am." Tamsin raised her eyebrows and said.

" Do you know what you are doing right now?" Massimo said as he stared at her.

" Drinking, obviously." Tamsin downed her drink in hand and poured herself another one.

" I mean about your mission."

" What mission? I don't have any mission right now..."

" Don't bullshit me, Tamsin." Massimo said in a serious voice, " We both know what it is. I know you have a thing for that succubus chick. But putting your own life up for her? Are you insane?"

" How the fuck did you find out? Odin made you his bitch too?"

" Didn't take long for those Valkyrie gossipers to pass the information around. How long did he give you?"

" Three days." Tamsin smiled bitterly.

" Get the shit done." Massimo leaned close and said to her, " Even if you don't do it, he'll send someone else to finish the job."

" Then good luck to him. Maybe the next person he send will actually get it done." Tamsin raised her glass and downed the drink.

Massimo sighed. He moved closer and whispered to Tamsin, " What's the matter with you? It's not like he asked you to killer her. Just give her the potion, and it's all done. So some random Valkyrie will bond with her, who cares?"

" Both you and I know that a Valkyrie's bond should not work like that! It's totally against the meaning of the bond. It's supposed to be about commitment and trust, not gaining power."

" Who the fuck cares about what it supposed to be!" Massimo raised his voice. Then he looked around and cleared his throat. " It's not like we live in the myths. It's fucking real life! There's no fucking moral codes, or rules, or whatever shit it is you believe. Survive, sister!"

" Oh, well." Tamsin smirked again. For a while, neither of them said anything. Massimo started to drink too. He looked like he was hesitating about something, as if he was trying to figure out whether he should tell Tamsin about something or not.

Eventually he opened his mouth and said, "Ok, I get it that you don't care about yourself. What about Acacia?"

" Last person who said her name in front of me got her ass kicked. Do you want a taste of that too?" Tamsin stared at him, anger burning in her eyes.

" So you don't know."

" Know what?" Tamsin raised her eyebrows.

Massimo looked around, as if he was making sure no one was listening to their conversation. Then he whispered to Tamsin, " Acacia is still alive."

" What?" Tamsin opened her eyes wide, " I am warning you, asshole, don't fuck with me."

" I'm serious."

" I got her hand in a fucking mail!" Tamsin said in a lower voice. She didn't realize that she was clenching her fists.

" You've recovered from worse injuries, and tell me, why would he kill her? She's worth more to him alive." Massimo said.

" How the fuck do you know Acacia is still alive?" Tamsin asked.

Massimo sighed. He looked around again and said, " A few days ago, I went to the Valhalla for some business. I heard two guards in the prison area talking about a Valkyrie imprisoned there, who only has one hand. I poked around, and figured out it was Acacia. Look, I was surprised too."

" So it is real? That she's alive." Tamsin said as she put down the glass in her hand.

" Yes. She's still alive, but if you decide to bullshit around with Odin's mission, he could kill her at any time. Once you are gone, he has no reason to keep her alive anymore." Massimo looked around again, and continued, " What I'm saying is forget about the succubus, save yourself and Acacia. Just tell him you'll get it done. You are the only one who can do this now. The potion has to be delivered by someone who is not willing to do it. Take the advantage, make a deal with him."

" Did he put you to this?" Tamsin asked. She was still trying to figure out if the druid was messing with her.

Massimo sighed. Then he said, " I'm here as a concerned friend. Make a deal with him, Tamsin. Think about yourself, and Acacia. You owe her that."

"Shit!" Tamsin closed her eyes and leaned back on her seat.

" You know we both love Acacia, but you are the only one who can save her right now." Massimo said. Then he stood up and added, " Just think about it, will you?"

" I'll take care of it. I won't let Acacia die." Tamsin said as the druid walked out the bar. Then she downed another drink.

* * *

A sudden noise from the doorway of the bedroom woke Bo up. She turned on the light and saw the Valkyrie standing there.

" Bar fight again?" Bo sat up and looked the blonde, somehow, she was not surprised to see the Valkyrie here.

"I wish it was." Tamsin smirked. She threw Bo's clothes to her.

" Thanks for bringing me my laundry...at three in the morning?" Bo was confused, " You could have just texted me and I would have come over to pick it up."

" Well." Tamsin smiled, " Maybe I just wanted to check up on everyone's favorite succubus." She paced around in Bo's room, touching every item on the dresser and the night stand. Then she pulled out a sword from her weapon cabinet and started playing with it.

" Tamsin, what's going on?" Bo asked. She stood up and walked to the Valkyrie. She grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it away from the blonde, before she hit anything she shouldn't. Then she noticed the smell of alcohol coming from the blonde. " Did you get possessed by a vodka spirit? How many drinks have you had tonight?" Bo frowned.

" Enough for me to do your laundry." Tamsin chuckled. She walked in circles for a few rounds, then she raised her head and looked at Bo, who was standing in front of her confused. " Well, mission accomplished. Time for me to go home."

" Wow, what is going on, Tamsin?" Bo grabbed her by her wrists, stopping her from walking out. She didn't expect the Valkyrie to trip and fall on her. Both of them fell on her bed.

" Oops." Tamsin said, with a hint of smile on her face, " I guess I just can't keep my hands off you."

Bo studied the look on Tamsin's face. The first thing, and the most obvious thing, she noticed was that the blonde was complete wasted. Then she realized that even though she was wasted, the painful look in her eyes hadn't changed. Bo had an agonizing feeling in her heart, as if something bitter had just exploded inside her. She slowly rolled herself aside, so the blonde could lie down next to her on the bed. She pulled the Valkyrie closer by grabbing her waist. " Hey, what's wrong?" Bo said as she lightly caressed the blonde's face with her fingers.

" Nothing. Everything is greeeeeat." the Valkyrie exclaimed. Then she exhaled hard and buried her head against Bo's chest.

" Ok..." Bo was still confused, but she put her arms around the blonde so she could embrace her.

The familiar smell of Bo made Tamsin sigh. She closed her eyes. For a moment, she just wanted to tell Bo every piece of truth about everything, about her mission, her destined death and her feelings for her, but she swallowed it all back. She knew the second she told her, the succubus would take everything upon her shoulders in an obligation to help her. She just couldn't do that to her.

" You know, if you want to spend the night with me, all you have to do is ask." Bo said. She wanted to make a joke because she felt there was something heavy on the Valkyrie's heart. She held her tighter in her arms. Strangely, being close with the Valkyrie alone like this, she couldn't even feel her hunger, or her lust. All she wanted right now was just to hold her.

Tamsin chuckled. She slowly ran her index finger down from Bo's forehead, down to her nose and lips, then her chin, and finally stopped at her chest. The warmth of the brunette burnt her finger tip like blazing fire. She sighed. After a while of silence, she murmured, " How could you be real...you shouldn't be real...you shouldn't be..."

" I feel like we've already had this conversation before." Bo said. She vividly recalled the moment the Valkyrie had said that same thing to her, in her bathtub, fully clothed, and with that sorrowful look in her blue eyes. " Why shouldn't I be real?" She asked.

" Because..." Tamsin whispered, with her finger tapping lightly on Bo's chest, " You are fucking perfect..."

" So now I am perfect again. I thought that was just drunken talk."

" Since when do you believe anything I've said?" Tamsin giggled. She pulled herself back a little, so she could look at the succubus face to face. She frowned a little, as if she didn't believe that the brunette was real in front of her. She cupped Bo's face and laid a very light kiss on Bo's lips. She pulled away before Bo even reacted to the kiss. Then she rested her forehead on Bo's with her eyes closed. She huffed out a very light laugh, and whispered, " To me, you are everything that I..." Her last few words were completely inaudible. She stopped talking and had her hands on Bo's face, slowly caressing her. She tried everything she could to keep those feelings in her chest, those feelings that were about to burst out and consume them both. She held back so hard that her body started to quiver. Bo noticed that, so she held her tighter. She knew something was off, but she didn't know what it was, and Tamsin was in fact too drunk to talk.

" Ok. Why don't we just get some rest now, and continue this conversation tomorrow morning?" Bo whispered to the blonde as she sent out some of her charms to her.

" I should leave..." The blonde murmured, but the only thing she did was pull herself closer to Bo. The alcohol she had finally saturated her brain, and all she could think about was getting closer to the brunette.

" Yeah, try harder." Bo caressed her hair and laid a kiss on her forehead.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Kenzi's yelling woke Bo up. Bo opened her eyes and raised herself up from the bed to look at the Russina girl, who was standing at the doorway of her bedroom.

" What?" Bo asked with her sleepy voice. She was not fully awake yet. Her eyes were still half closed.

But Kenzi didn't answer her. In fact, she didn't say anything. She just stood there, with her jaw dropped on the floor and her eyes wide open. She had her phone in her hand, but it looked like she was about to throw it away and run.

Bo stared at Kenzi for a while, then she lowered her head and realized that Kenzi was staring at the blonde in her bed. Tamsin was still sleeping, with her arms around Bo's waist and her head buried under Bo's chin.

" What happened last night? Did I hit my head too hard? Did any of us get body swapped? Brain washed? Food poisoning? Epidemic? Am I still dreaming? Am I still in my bed instead of standing here watching you and detective bitchiness cuddling? I repeat, cuddling?" Kenzi finally put her train of thoughts into words and let them out. She stopped, not because she had finished what she was trying to say, but because she desperately needed air.

Bo felt a little bit embarrassed but she knew there was no way she could get away with this, so she just shrugged and said, " Well, if you really want to know, nothing happened between us last night."

Kenzi didn't say anything. She looked like she was still trying to digest what she was seeing right now. Bo rubbed her sore eyes and asked, " What were you yelling about?"

" Oh, just got a call from Trick. He is back." Kenzi waved her phone in her hand to Bo.

" What? Really? When? I mean, why didn't he call me?" Bo said as she grabbed her phone from the nightstand. She looked at it and found a few missed calls. " Oh, he did... I probably didn't hear it."

" Yeah, that's right, because you were busy doing something else. Or should I say, someone else." Kenzi pointed at the blonde.

Bo rolled her eyes at Kenzi. She slid off the bed and got dressed. " I guess I should go see him then."

" In fact, we all should. We are going to have a welcome back party for him like right now! I've already told Dyson." Kenzi said, " I'll see you at the Dal, sis." She then left in a hurry, as if she didn't want to stand there any longer.

Tamsin had finally woken up. She moaned in pain in the bed, with her eyes closed. Then she opened her eyes, and covered them with her hands.

" Well, maybe next time you won't drink so much." Bo said to her as she was sitting on the bed to put on her boots. The Valkyrie moved her hands away so she could look at the brunette. She just lied there and stared at Bo for a while.

" Trick is back. We are having a party for him in the Dal."

" Oh great." Tamsin said, " Free drinks right?"

Bo sighed. " Anyway, just come with me. We'll talk after I meet Trick."

" Whatever." Tamsin sat up and frowned.

* * *

The Dal was already filled with people when Bo and Tamsin got there. Trick was behind the bar, smiling to everyone in front of him.

" Ok. I'm gonna go talk to Trick first. Then you and I are going to talk, understand?" Bo asked Tamsin. She stared at her until the blonde nodded reluctantly.

Tamsin stood at the door way, watching the brunette run to her grandfather. She hugged him and he hugged her back. Both of them were laughing, so was everyone in the crowd. She watched the laughter softening the succubus' face. She knew she was happy right now. Bo was always happy, warm, and optimistic, just like the picture of her Dyson kept in his drawer. Tamsin remembered the moment when she saw the photo. She ran her thumb on that photo, as if she was caressing the bruntte's warm, smooth skin.

Tamsin sighed. She knew she had made her choice a long time ago, maybe ever since she saw that photo, or maybe even before that. Bo should stay like this, living her life, with the ones that loved her, or she loved, like the wolf who secretly kept a photo of her close to him, like the blood king who looked at her with a relieved smile on his face, or like her human pet who talked to her with loud laughter, or like the smart, kickass doctor who was probably still watching over her somewhere. Tamsin knew that the succubus would be safe and fine, with or without her. And that was all she needed to know. She knew that Bo wanted to talk to her, but she decided that the brunette didn't need to know about anything. After all, three days later, she would be gone, and things would just move on. There was just no reason for her to put any more burden on Bo.

Tamsin was ready to leave, but she saw Dyson standing in the room. The wolf was looking at Bo, with a smile on his face. Tamsin stopped. She knew she had not talked to Dyson about anything after their car crash, and she thought she probably should warn Dyson about Bo's father. She hesitated for a while, then she walked to him. " Dyson, a word." She said.

" Ok." Dyson lowered his head and looked at her.

" Somewhere more private, and we can sit?"

" How about downstairs?" Dyson proposed.

" Works." Tamsin nodded.

They both went downstairs. Trick's den was empty, since everybody was in the bar, celebrating Trick's return. Dyson sat down on the couch and grabbed the whiskey bottle from the side table. He offered Tamsin a drink.

" So, what's up, partner?" Dyson asked, after a few minutes of silence.

" I...emmm... I need to take a few days off, starting from today." Tamsin said. After two drinks she finally found a starting point of their conversation.

" In the middle of a serial killer investigation?" Dyson frowned. He tried to figure out what Tamsin was thinking about by studying the look on her face, but he just couldn't.

" Yeah...got some shit to take care of first." Tamsin said.

" Is it related to Bo's father?" Dyson asked. He felt that whatever it was on Tamsin's mind, it was related to Bo's father, and the blonde had not talked about that with him yet. He felt that it was about time to start that conversation.

" Well, yes and no. Shit, it's personal, Dyson." Tamsin furrowed her eyebrows at Dyson, as if she didn't want the wolf to get too deep.

" Ok. Personal. Got it." Dyson said, " Can we talk about Bo's father then?"

" I guess." Tamsin let out a deep breath, " I don't know what he is up to, but I know it's not anything good."

" Can we start from the beginning? How do you know him? And who is he?"

Tamsin took a deep breath. She turned the shot glass in her hand around for a few times, then said, " What the hell, I guess it's about the time to tell you the whole story. Bo's father is Odin, and I'm pretty sure you know who he is. I work for him, of course, as a Valkyrie. He sent me here to bring Bo in. The job with you was...sort of a cover I guess."

" You were sent here to bring Bo in? To him?" Dyson narrowed his eyes.

Tamsin shrugged. She was expecting a stronger reaction from Dyson, like he would be pissed off, or freak out, but the wolf was awfully calm. He sat there thinking about something, with a drink in his hand.

" So let me get this straight. Bo is your target, but not only did you take a bullet for her, also you tried to kill the man who assigned you the mission..." Dyson said.

" Well, I guess that didn't work out well, huh?" Tamsin smirked.

" So you are on Bo's side now..." Dyson said as he slowly drank his drink, " Well, I'm glad that we got that clear. I don't know what I was gonna do to you if you revealed yourself as an enemy."

" Well, you'd probably do your wolf thing, and I'd probably do my Valkyrie thing, and we'd fight till blood splattered everywhere." Tamsin said. Then they both laughed for a minute or two.

Tamsin downed a drink, and watched Dyson pour her another one. " I thought I'd have gotten a stronger reaction from you, after I told you about my mission." She said.

" I'm a wolf, and I'm a detective. I knew you were up to something, as well as I knew you meant no harm to Bo, or anyone. Partners, right?" Dyson clicked his glass with Tamsin's and finished his drink.

" Yeah...partners..." Tamsin smiled. Then they both went silent again.

After a while, Dyson asked, " Why the sudden change of heart? What happened?"

Tamsin huffed out a laugh. She downed her drink and said, " Shit! You know what happened."

" I'm not sure what you are referring to..."

" The succubus happened." Tamsin said after she finished two shots in a row. She felt like she needed the alcohol to help her to spit out whatever it was on her mind.

" You mean Bo?" Dyson felt a little bit confused.

" God, Dyson! How many succubi do you know? Of course it's Bo! Her and her fucking succubus charm..." Tamsin said. She regretted it the moment she said it, but she decided to let it go. She didn't have much time left after all, and it was not going to come back and bite her anyway.

" You..." Dyson suddenly realized something. He just couldn't believe it, but the moment it occurred to him, he felt that it could explain every question he had right now for Tamsin. " You have feelings for Bo."

Tamsin smiled. Instead of saying anything, she admitted it by silence. Dyson downed his drink, and he was quiet too. They both sat there quietly for a while, before Tamsin said, "Stupid, huh? A minute earlier I was just mocking everyone who was stupid enough to fall for her, the next fucking thing I know I fell right in."

" She has that kind of effect on people." Dyson smiled.

" No kidding."

" Have you told her about this?"

Tamsin shook her head. " What's the point?" She said, " It's already stupid enough for me to fall for her. It's not like I'm looking for anything in return from her. Besides..."

" Besides?"

" Nothing." Tamsin said. She was not sure what she was going to say after that _besides_. Maybe she wanted to say that she didn't have much time left anyway, or maybe she wanted to say that Bo already had Dyson and Lauren, or maybe she wanted to say that Bo wouldn't feel the same for her. She decided to say nothing but keep drinking with Dyson in silence.

* * *

Bo talked to Trick for a while. She had a few drinks with Kenzi. Then she remembered that she needed to talk to Tamsin. She felt that the blonde had a lot of things that she should tell her. She looked around but didn't see her.

" Are you looking for someone?" Trick asked her.

" Yeah...where is Tamsin? She didn't leave, did she?" Bo took her phone out. She was ready to call her.

" I think she and Dyson went downstairs a while ago." Trick said, " Why?"

" Nothing. I'll be right back." Bo said to Trick. Then she put her phone back into her pocket. She stood up and walked downstairs.

The door to Trick's room was half closed. Bo could see Dyson and Tamsin both sitting on the couch, drinking. It seemed that they didn't notice her presence outside the door at all. They were just talking.

Out of curiosity, Bo didn't go in. She stood there and listened to their conversation.

" So this personal thing, care to tell me what that's all about?" Dyson asked Tamsin.

" Rescue mission." Tamsin sighed.

" How long is it gonna take?"

" A couple of days." Tamsin smirked.

" If you need back up. I'm all in." Dyson said.

Tamsin shook her head. " No, I'll deal with it. You need to stay on the case."

Dyson nodded. " Ok then. Does Bo know about this?"

" Of course not!" Tamsin said, " You and I both know what would happen if I told her. The stupid bitch would throw herself right in, just because she cares too much."

Dyson shrugged, as if he was agreeing with Tamsin. Tamsin took a deep breath and added, "Keep an eye on her, Dyson. I don't know what her father has planned for her but nothing good for sure. You are the only one I can trust on this. Don't let me down, partner."

" You say it like you know you are not coming back." Dyson frowned.

" Well, there's always the chance." Tamsin raised her glass to Dyson, " You know how rescue missions are, either you succeed or you don't make it back."

" Don't say that, you-" Dyson didn't get to finish his talk, because Bo just opened the door and went in. For a moment, three of them just froze there, looking at each other.

" Dyson, I need a word with Tamsin, alone." Bo said as she stared at Tamsin.

" All yours." Dyson left as fast as he could. He closed the door behind him.

For a while, Bo just stood there, staring at the blonde, as if she was trying to kill her with her gaze. " You are leaving, and you think you may not make it back?" She finally gathered the words and spit them out.

" Gee, I didn't picture you as the eavesdropping type..." Tamsin said. She lowered her head to avoid eye contact. She could feel her heart pounding hard. She was not sure how much conversation Bo had overheard.

" Then tell me, when were you going to tell me about all this? Your rescue mission, or should I say, suicide mission?"

" Emmm...try never?"

" Why? Tamsin, I want to know why!" Bo almost yelled at her. She was pissed, just because she found out that the blonde was going to rescue someone risking her own life, and she haven't even bothered to tell her.

" Why do you even care! It's my problem, and it's none of your business!" Tamsin yelled back. She threw the glass in her hand away and heard it crash against the wall and then stood up from the couch.

" Of course I care! After all the things that have happened between us, you don't think I care about you?! I can't believe you didn't even plan to tell me that. I can't fucking believe I had to find it out like this!" Bo forced herself to breath, so she wouldn't be consumed by her anger right now. She felt her chest heaving hard, as if something was going to break out.

" Well, now you know. Happy?" Tamsin smirked.

" We spent last night together and you giggled like a thousand times, but it didn't occur to you that you should tell me about this?" Bo asked, " Is that what that was about? Your way of saying farewell without telling me shit?"

" You got me." Tamsin said, " Now here's my goodbye." She turned around and walked to the door, but Bo grabbed her by her waist and pulled her back.

" Oh, nice try!" Bo said. She pulled the blonde to her and held her to her chest tightly. She rested her chin on the blonde's shoulder and buried her face into her hair. She felt the blonde struggling, trying to get herself free. She just took a deep breath and held her tighter.

" What do you want from me..." Tamsin murmured. She finally gave up. She hadn't planned on getting this close to the succubus before she left, because she knew she wouldn't be able to handle Bo's reaction.

" I'm going with you." Bo said, " Wherever you are going, whoever you are rescuing, I'm going with you."

" No you are not!" Tamsin yelled. She pulled herself back and stared at the brunette.

" Oh yes I fucking am!" Bo yelled back.

Tamsin frowned at her. She just wanted to run but the succubus was still holding her in her arms. For a while, they just stood there without saying anything.

Eventually Bo started talking again. " Tamsin, I've already told you, we fight together. You were always there when I needed someone, you don't think I can do the same for you?"

" I don't need you, Bo. I fucking don't need you!" Tamsin said, " Why can't you just leave me alone?"

" Well, too late. I'm going with you, likey or not." Bo said. She put her arms around Tamsin's waist and let out a deep breath. " What were you thinking?" She murmured as she rested her head against Tamsin's chest, " You were just gonna leave like this? Without me knowing where you went, or whether you were coming back or not? You were just gonna leave me hanging?"

Tamsin closed her eyes. A painful feeling ran through her heart, so heavy that she was about to fall. Yet she was relieved that Bo didn't know about her feelings, nor did she know about the fact that she was going to die after three days. Looking at the brunette, she knew Bo was definitely going to go with her, no matter what she told her, so she decided that she should just give up on persuading her not to.

" Ok. We'll go together." Tamsin said.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

" Why are you following me around?" Tamsin frowned at Bo as she opened the door to her apartment. Since their talk at the Dal, the succubus was following close behind her.

" Well, I don't trust you right now. What if you leave without me?" Bo said, " So when are we leaving? And where are we going?"

" Relax, first we need some rest." Tamsin said, " We are going to Valhalla. There is gonna be a lot of fights on the way."

" Yet you decided to go without me." Bo stared at her. She was still mad at her for not telling her about her rescue mission.

Tamsin didn't say anything. She walked straight to her bedroom and lied down on the bed. Bo lied down beside her, and held her in her arms, as if she was afraid the Valkyrie will vanish.

" Geez, Bo. I said we'll do this together. I'm not gonna run away when you fall asleep, ok? Can we not do this?"

" I don't trust you." Bo said. She held the blonde tighter. She suddenly felt like that the blonde was going to disappear. She had never thought about it before, because whenever she needed someone, the Valkyrie was always there. She just never thought that one day the Valkyrie would go away. Just the thought of not seeing her again scared Bo.

Tamsin sighed. She caressed Bo's face slowly and gazed into her brown eyes. She wanted to say something, but she just couldn't find the right words.

Bo grabbed her hand. She lowered her head and laid a kiss on Tamsin's fingers. The Valkyrie was a little bit startled by it, but she didn't pull away.

Bo took a deep breath. She cupped the blonde's face and pressed her lips on Tamsin's. The blonde paused, but she kissed her back eventually. Both of them kissed with hesitation and uncertainty in their hearts, but the kiss was still the sweetest they had ever had.

" You...emmm...you want to feed...?" Tamsin asked when she pulled back a little to get some air.

Bo shook her head. She didn't want to feed, nor did she want anything. She just wanted to make sure that the blonde wouldn't leave her, so she held her tight and kissed her again and again.

* * *

In the dream-like experience, Bo found herself on the sea cliff again, with her father beside her. The waves under the cliff were still strong, hitting the rocks, although this time there was no Armageddon scenes.

" What exactly do you want from me?" Bo frowned at him.

" I want you to be stronger, dear." Odin said. He looked at Bo with the only eye he had.

" I'm not sure I'm following." Bo said. She looked around, but saw nothing except rocks, water, and her father. The wind was strong and salty, almost felt heavy on her face.

" There is a very important destiny waiting for you, Bo." Odin stepped forward to Bo. He raised his head to look at the clouds in the sky. The clouds were swirling, just like the first time they met. " A storm is coming."

" Yeah, you've said that at least like four times now. Can't you provide some new information?" Bo said, " I'm really busy."

" You need to get stronger, Bo."

" Ok...what are you trying to sell here?"

" I've picked a perfect Valkyrie for you. She's the most powerful Valkyrie I've ever seen."

" Are you talking about Tamsin? And what do you mean by _picked_?" Bo was even more confused.

A loud laugh burst out from Odin's throat, as if the wanderer had just heard something ridiculous. " No, my dear, Tamsin was never the most powerful Valkyrie, and she is way passed her prime now."

" So you picked another one as my body guard or something?"

" No. I picked another one as your sword, your shield, your amplifier."

" Huh?" Bo frowned again. She was completely lost.

" Ahh, I forgot that you grew up among the humans. You are not very familiar with the Fae things, are you?"

" Well, you got me." Bo said, " Look, not that I'm not interested in...having a conversation with you, but I really need to go."

" Have you ever heard about a Valkyrie's bond?"

" No, what is that?"

" It's a ritual, to form a bond between a Valkyrie and a warrior..." Odin stopped. He raised his head a little to look at somewhere far away. Bo looked at the same direction. She saw a raven flew towards them through the mist of the ocean. It landed on Odin's shoulder. Odin whispered something to the bird, and the bird seemed to whisper something back.

" You have to excuse me. I have something I need to take care of." Odin said.

" Hey! Seriously you need to finish your story!" Bo yelled at him, but there was nothing she could do. One push on her forehead and she was back to the bed again.

Bo sat up and gasped. She saw Tamsin standing beside the bed, packing gears into a backpack.

" Bad dream?" Tamsin stopped packing, looking at Bo.

" Nope, meeting with my damn father."

" Oh. What did he say this time?"

" Something about a Valkyrie's bond. Do you know what that is? You should know right? Because you are a Valkyrie." Bo said.

Tamsin stiffened. She put down the things in her hand and sat down on the side of the bed. Instead of looking at Bo, she stared at the floor for a while, as if she was trying to figure out what to say. " Why? Did he say anything about it to you?" She asked.

" Well, yes and no. He said something about he picked a strong Valkyrie for me or something, but he had to go before he explained that to me. Typical." Bo said, " What is this bond thing?"

Tamsin sighed. She knew if she didn't give Bo an answer right now, the brunette was going to bug her for hours. " A Valkyrie's bond is the most powerful yet most dangerous thing a Valkyrie can offer to a warrior, well, warrior means anyone really."

" Yeah I remember he said something about the Valkyrie would be my sword or something. Why dangerous?"

" Because once the bond is established, the fate of the Valkyrie and the warrior become the same. If the Valkyrie dies, the warrior dies too, or vise versa."

" How come I've never heard about it?"

" It's one of those things that sounds really great but not practical for the majorities. Well, that and you are a baby Fae, you don't know shit." Tamsin tried to explain to Bo as simple as possible, " Valkyries are only willing to bond with strong warriors, because if you bond with a weak one, you pretty much give up your life for nothing. However, a strong warrior probably doesn't want to bond with a random Valkyrie, because in that case, the Valkyrie becomes the weaker link in the bond."

" Hmmm... so how powerful can you get if you bond with a Valkyrie?"

" It certainly amplifies your power, but really depends on the individuals." Tamsin paused for a while, then continued, " Power is never meant to be the meaning of the bond, although that's what most people are after. The bond is about the commitment and trust between a Valkyrie and a warrior, because both have to put their own lives at risk."

" Wow, you say it like it's a marriage."

" Worse. If you marry the wrong person, there's still divorce, even for Faes, but the Valkyrie's bond can not be canceled, so once you bond, you bond for life, literally."

" Then I'm totally not gonna let my father force me to bond with whoever he picked." Bo said. She thought about it for a while, then added, " He can't force the bond, can he?"

Tamsin took a deep breath. She wanted to explain it without letting Bo know about her three day deadline thing. " No, you have to agree on it in the ritual, and the Valkyrie has to...fall for you." She almost couldn't speak out the fall-for-you part.

" You mean like fall in love with me?" Bo asked.

" It doesn't have to be romantic, but the Valkyrie has to have strong feelings for you for sure. It could be love, or worship, or obedience, anything that can make her give up anything for you."

" How the hell can he pick someone I've never met to fall for me then?"

Tamsin smiled bitterly. She didn't say anything, but whispered in her own heart, _how could anyone not fall for you?_

" My father can't force the bond, right?" Bo asked again.

" He may want to try, but if he could, he would have done that a long time ago." Tamsin said, " You don't want to get more powerful?"

" By forcing someone to bond with me for the rest of my life? No thanks."

" That's what I thought..." Tamsin murmured.

" So...have you bonded with anyone before?" Bo asked.

Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo. " Have you really been listening to what I just said? When you bond, you bond for life! Do I look like I've bonded with someone for life?"

" Afraid of commitment huh? Or you just can't trust anyone?"

" Do I really need to talk about commitment with a succubus?" Tamsin retorted, " And trust is a dangerous thing. "

" Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Bo murmured, " Are we ready to go?"

" Well, I'm more ready than you are." Tamsin zipped both backpacks. Then she took out two duffle bags from under the bed. Bo saw all kinds of weapons in it but guns. " We are not taking any guns?"  
" Firearms don't work in the realms of the Gods." Tamsin said, " And seriously, have you ever fired a gun before?"

" Well, give me a shot gun, I can certainly hit the target."

" Yeah, in that case I wouldn't stray in front of you anywhere..." Tamsin smirked, " Ok. Let's go."

" Wait!" Suddenly something occurred to Bo, " You haven't told me who we are rescuing yet!"

" I'll explain on the way. We don't really have a lot of time."

" Why? Is this person on a death schedule or something?"

Tamsin sighed. " Sort of." She said.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and all the support!**

**In this chapter, Tamsin explained the Valkyrie's bond to Bo, basically everything about it in this story is made up by me... Later there are going to be some further explanations about this bond. **

**Hope everyone enjoyed the story so far! This story is probably going to be a long one, so please bare with it :) **


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

" Can we talk about the person we are rescuing now?" Bo couldn't hold the question for one more minute as soon as they got into Tamsin's truck.

" She...emmm...her name is Acacia. She's my mentor, and a good friend."

" Wow, did I just hear _friend_?"

Tamsin shot Bo a glare, but she didn't retort. " We used to fight wars together. A lot." She said.

" Oh." Bo nodded, " So she's being held captive or something?"

" She's in prison." Tamsin sighed.

" Why? What did she do?"

" Pissed off the wrong people." Tamsin took a deep breath and leaned back against her seat, " And it was because of me."

" She was trying to protect you or something?"

Tamsin sighed. " Look, it's complicated, ok?" She didn't want to get too deep into the topic, because she knew that as soon as she told Bo how Acacia got herself into this mess, Bo would want to know why she couldn't finish her job in the first place, then she would have to explain how she felt about her. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to let the succubus know about her feelings.

" Fine, but one day you are going to tell me all about it." Bo murmured.

" Yeah...one day..." Tamsin said.

" You said we are going to Valhalla to rescue her, right?"

" That's right. She is imprisoned there."

" So what are we going to do? To break into a prison? How many guards are we talking about?"

" A lot." Tamsin said, " That's why I'm gonna talk about the rules with you right now."

" Ok, mom." Bo rolled her eyes.

" First, do not throw yourself between me and danger." Tamsin said as she stared at Bo.

" Don't you think it makes more sense for me to get hurt? I can heal you know." Bo said. She immediately blushed when she said heal. She heard the blonde clear her throat. Neither one of them said anything for a while.

" Ok. What's the second?" Bo finally spoke up. It just felt too awkward for them not to say anything.

" Follow my lead, and don't improvise." Tamsin said.

" Wow, you are really serious about this..." Bo studied the look on the Valkyrie's face. She had seen such serious look once before, when the blonde warned her about her dawning in the dark Fae bar. Then her thoughts automatically got pulled to the kiss in Brazenwood. She blushed again.

The blonde frowned at her. " Are you ok?" She asked.

Bo nodded. The Valkyrie turned her head back to look at the road.

" So we are just going to drive to the Valhalla like this?"

" No, we are driving to a warp station and start from there." Tamsin said.

" Warp station? You mean like one of those Fae travel agencies?"

" Same types of facility, but the one we are heading to is only used by Valkyries. It's like a teleport station, where you can move from one to another freely."

" Ok." Bo nodded.

* * *

" This is Valhalla? I thought it was a big, empty hall." Bo asked. After warping a few times, they finally stopped at their destination. Bo looked around. She saw snowy forests far away on the mountains, and the mountains were topped by snow and ice. They looked like they were crowned by diamonds under the afternoon sunshine. Pine trees were everywhere, along with the pine cones on the ground.

" God, no. This is Asgard. Well, I should say, the realm of the Gods." Tamsin said.

" Oh, well, looks to me just like earth..." Bo said. She raised her head and frowned, as if she sensed something wrong. " Although, I don't hear or see any animals. No birds, no squirrels..."

" Aren't you observant." Tamsin smirked, " Those only exist on earth. The only birds you will see here are Odin's ravens. Then there are Valkyrie's horses. "

" Ok." Bo said.

They started to walk through the forests. Night fell upon the world. The sun set down to the other side of the mountains, and things just grew dark as if someone had just turned off the lights.

The only sound they could hear were the night winds, and their own footsteps.

Bo was about to say something, but before she could, she heard something coming towards them.

" Horse?" Bo asked as she frowned and stopped walking. Tamsin grabbed her waist and pulled her behind a rock. They both crutched down. " Shhh..." Tamsin whispered to her, " It's probably the night patrolling Valkyries."

They both stuck their heads out from the rock just a little, to look at the coming crowd. A group of horses were coming towards them. The horses were all pure white, as if they were made from snow. Ice and frost were falling from their tails. They looked so bright in the darkness, as though they were emitting rays of light. On the back of each horse, rode a blonde. They were all pretty, yet with a cold, indifferent look on their faces. The one who rode in the very front was holding a burning torch in her left hand, and her right hand held the reins, yet it still lightly pressed against the hilt of her sword daggling on her waist. The ones after her were all armed with sword, spear, bow or other weapons. They were deadly quiet. They made no noise, other than the sound from the burning torch and the horses. They passed the rock and rode towards the other side of the forest.

After the light of the torch disappeared in the air, Bo and Tamsin stood up and sighed with a relief. " Bitches are moving too slow, if they want to finish the patrol before dawn." Tamsin murmured. She looked around, then she looked at her watch and said, " We should find a place and get some rest tonight."

" I thought we were on a timer here."

" Yeah, but if we travel the entire night tonight, we will arrive at the Valhalla in the morning. All the Valkyries and the warrior souls are gonna be there. We'll have to wait till the afternoon anyway, so we'd better get some rest now while we can." Tamsin looked around, as if she was trying to figure out a place to stay.

" What will they do in the afternoon?"

" They will go out to the forest for battle training, then return at dusk to celebrate and rest in Valhalla. Our best chance to get through there is in the afternoon." Tamsin said, " Come on, this way."

Bo followed her to a cave. It was at the edge of the forest. Underneath the clear, pale moonlight, she could see a city-like place far away. It was lit up by fire, lights and torches.

" Yeah, we are going there." Tamsin told Bo, as if she could see through her thoughts. She checked the cave to make sure it was safe. Then she pulled out the sleeping bags from the backpacks they brought with them, and put them on the ground.

" You brought sleeping bags?" Bo asked.

" Well, standard packing for a trip in Asgard. Something to sleep on, something to fight with, something to eat, and something to wrap up the wounds with." Tamsin said to Bo.

" Alright, you are the expert." Bo said as she slid herself into one of the sleeping bags. She was really exhausted. She fell asleep in seconds.

* * *

Tamsin sat beside Bo. She took out a small bottle of vodka from her backpack and took a sip. She didn't know if she should just sleep through the second to the last night she would ever have, or she should just stay awake.

She stared at the moon. Hundreds of years had passed, yet it was still bright, pale and lonely in the sky, watching the entire world with that indifferent look.

Tamsin turned around and looked at Bo. Even in sleep, the succubus still had her warm look on her face. Tamsin took another swig from the bottle. She saw a vague light pass through the road under the edge of the mountain. She knew it was the patrol team they just encountered, and they were returning to Valhalla. Once she was one of them, but now, not anymore.

She sat there for hours, thinking about everything that had happened in her life. Then she heard the succubus moaning.

" You are not going to sleep?" Bo opened her eyes and looked at the Valkyrie, who was sitting beside her with a bottle of vodka in her hand.

" Just getting a few drinks before bed, as usual." Tamsin scrunched her nose.

Bo sat up and pulled herself closer to the blonde. She looked at the Valkyrie. She felt that the Valkyrie was thinking about something, but she didn't know what it was. " Is there something you need to tell me? " Bo asked.

Tamsin stiffened. She turned her head away and took a sip from the bottle. " No. I don't have anything to tell you." She said.

" I feel like you do." Bo said. She leaned close and cupped the Valkyrie's face. Her blue eyes were shimmering in the darkness, as if stars were hidden inside. She couldn't help but lay a kiss on her lips.

" No, I don't..." Tamsin said as she inhaled hard. She put down the vodka bottle on the ground and pulled the succubus close by grabbing her waist. She could feel the brunette's hunger, with her warmth, they blazed through her.

Bo stopped talking. In this different world, beneath the moonlight, in the dead silence, she felt like the blonde was the only one that she had. It didn't take long for her to straddle the blonde. She let her lie down on the sleeping bag and pinned her wrists beside her head. The blonde had already closed her eyes, as if she was trying to avoid the eye contact. Bo lowered her head and kissed her again on her lips. The sweet taste instantly turned her on. She released the blonde's wrists, so she could unbutton her shirt. Her fingers brushed through the blonde's soft, warm skin on her chest as she took off her shirt. Then she took off her bra.

Bo paused and stared at the Valkyrie. A sheen of silver moonlight covered her body and her hair locks. She was so beautiful that she almost looked unreal. Bo felt a light chest pain, and then she realized that it was because she had held her breath for too long. She started to kiss the blonde again, this time she started from her ear.

The blonde moaned when Bo sucked her neck playfully. Then she felt the kiss moved down to her collar bone and she moaned louder.

Bo chuckled. By the time she took the Valkyrie's nipples in her mouth, the blonde couldn't contain her gasps and moans anymore, nor could she breathe peacefully. She had to bite her index finger to stop from screaming too loud.

Bo circled around the blonde's nipples with her tongue, with her hands on the blonde's back caressing her. She inhaled hard and moved down to unbutton her pants. She pulled the blonde's pants off. When she saw the black thong, she couldn't help but chuckle.

" This doesn't look like something you should wear to a battle." Bo said. Then she pulled the string lightly, causing the blonde to arch her back.

" Shut the fuck up..." Tamsin cursed. The succubus slowly pulled her thong off with her teeth. She felt that her entire body was tensed up because of the expectation about what the succubus would do next.

Bo was fully aware of that. She buried her head between the blonde's legs and leaned close. She stopped right before her tongue touched the blonde's core. She waited till the blonde relaxed her body and gave her a wild lick from the entrance all the way to her clit.

" Shit!" Tamsin cursed again. Before she could react, the succubus had already started to suck her clit with her tongue circling on it. The Valkyrie couldn't say anything anymore. The only thing she could do was to moan and gasp. With both of her hands digging into Bo's hair, she was not sure if she should pull the succubus closer, or push her away. Before she could make a decision, her orgasm hit her like the waves from a strong tide. She threw her head back and arched her back away from the ground. Before her screams could even escape from her throat, they became loud gasps. She didn't know how the succubus did it, but she kept her on the peak for a while, till she had lost her voice. Then she gently let her fall from it.

" You didn't...emm...you didn't...feed..." Tamsin murmured as the succubus moved up to kiss her on her lips.

" Relax..." Bo caressed her face slowly with her index finger. What the blonde had just said made her heart ache somehow. _Does she really think the sex just a feeding?_ She thought. She watched the blonde under her, blushed by the intense orgasm she just had, and still shaking lightly. She slid her hand down between her legs again, feathering her core. The blonde buried her face to her shoulder and grabbed her waist tightly. She pulled herself closer to Bo, so she could ease the tension a little. She tucked one of her hand in between Bo's legs and started to thumb her clit.

The both moaned. Drowning in the strong, painfully pleasure, Bo couldn't control her hunger anymore. She started to feed, with her fingers thrusting into the blonde and the blonde's thrusting into her. She had never felt so satisfied before. She broke off the kiss because she climaxed hard and had to gasp for air. She gathered all the strength she had left for a few hard thrusts inside the blonde. The Valkyrie pulled herself closer to Bo again, biting her shoulder to muffle her screams.

Bo closed her eyes. The ecstasy had wiped her brain blank. She rested her forehead on the blonde's, trying to catch her breath. She was still cupping the Valkyrie's face, as the Valkyrie was cupping hers. Subconsciously, she inched forward and kissed the blonde on her lips. She tasted her sweetness, her passion, and her fear. The familiar bittersweet taste sent a painful feeling through her heart. She gazed into the blonde's eyes, with her fingers running through her hair locks.

" Time for bed..." Tamsin murmured. She was exhausted from the sex, the feeding and the succubus' warmth. She enjoyed this moment, when she was half awake and half sleep. She was too drowsy to think about her coming death, fights coming tomorrow, or her feelings, yet she was sober enough to feel every touch and every kiss from the brunette. It felt so amazing that it almost felt like a dream, a dream that she never wanted to wake up from.

Bo sighed. She still felt that there was something the blonde was hiding from her, but being with the blonde for this long, she knew if the blonde didn't want to tell her, there was nothing she could do about it. She closed the sleeping bag around them, pulling the blonde closer.

Tamsin rested her head against Bo's chest. She sighed and closed her eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for the guest reviewer, whoever you are, for pointing out the problem of "_lied_ should have been_ lay_" :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Bo woke up the next morning. She could feel the cold morning breeze running through the cave. She raised herself up from the sleeping bag, and saw the blonde was already up and dressed. She was polishing a sword of hers.

Bo got up and got dressed. The blonde was staring at her the whole time, without stopping whatever she was doing with her hands, as if she was enjoying the scene.

Bo was about to put on her jacket, but Tamsin stopped her. She threw her a shoulder holster belt. There were different shapes of darts and throwing knives sheathed on it.

" You are good with throwing stuff, that I remembered." Tamsin said, " Why don't you put that on?"

Bo nodded. " How do you know?"

" Well, I watched you kill that dude in Brazenwood." Tamsin smirked.

As soon as she mentioned Brazenwood, both of them felt a little bit awkward. In fact, Bo felt both awkward and weird, because she knew they had sex multiple times, and it was just so weird that they would still feel awkward whenever anyone mentioned Brazenwood. For a moment, Bo almost asked Tamsin why she kissed her in Brazenwood, but she swallowed it back eventually. She tried to put on the holster, but she couldn't make it work. Tamsin rolled her eyes. She pulled Bo close to her and helped her to put it on.

" God you just can't do anything without me, can you?" Tamsin said. Then she paused for a while, before she finally finished helping Bo.

" Well, as long as you are by my side, I'll be fine." Bo smiled to her.

" Don't get too attached." Tamsin smirked. She put on her own shoulder holster too.

" So what weapon should I use, besides these...things." Bo said as she pointed at the blades on her holster.

" Well, you do still have your dagger, and your succubus charm, right?" Tamsin looked at her, eyebrow raised.

" Ok, let's do this." Bo pulled out her dagger.

" Wow, relax. It's not like we are slaughtering the dragon right now." Tamsin said.

" Fine. Whatever." Bo put the dagger back. She helped Tamsin to pack some of the gears they have. " What about the rest of the stuff?" She asked.

" We can't take them all. Just leave them here, in case we fall back to this place. That way we still have some back up weapons." Tamsin said. She looked around outside the cave, as if she was trying to figure out which way they should go. Then she pulled Bo close and pointed at a place near the Valhalla hall to her. " Do you see that blue roofed place over there?" She asked.

" Yeah. Why?"

" That's a warp station, and it's right next to the prison cells we are about to go. There are probably going to be some guards around it but with your succubus charm I'm sure you can make it through."

" What do you mean?" Bo was confused.

" If anything goes wrong, I need you to go to the warp station as fast as you can, and no turning back. This is rule number three."

Bo frowned. " Don't talk to me like you are not leaving with me."

" Well, we have to prepare for the worst, don't we?" Tamsin said.

" No, if anything goes wrong, we leave together." Bo said.

" Ok, fine. Just remember, follow my lead, and no improvising."

" Yeah, yeah, whatever, mother." Bo murmured.

* * *

They went out from the cave and went downhill. The way down was rough because instead of walking on the actual roads, they walked through the rocks and the trees, trying to avoid the patrol teams.

The forest became denser again, after they went across a river. Then it got sparser because again they went back uphill towards the castles ahead of them.

" You ok back there?" Tamsin asked Bo without turning her head back. She stopped walking to wait for Bo.

" I'm fine. Just keep moving." Bo said. She stopped to gasp for air for a while, then started to walk again.

" We can take five." Tamsin said. She stopped beside a rock.

" Ok, fine." Bo sat down on the rock, trying to catch her breath. She wanted to say something, but before she could, they both heard noises coming from behind.

They both turned around quickly. Three Valkyries walked out from the woods. They were equally startled when they saw Bo and Tamsin. They were fully armored, with swords on their waist and their helmets tucked under their arms.

" Who are you?" The oldest of the three frowned at them. She looked like their leader. The other two looked at them confused, as if they didn't know what to say, or what to do.

" I was gonna ask the same thing." Tamsin held her hands behind her back, secretly telling Bo not to make a move yet. " Why aren't you three practicing battle skills in Valhalla right now?"

" We are on a survival training right now." One of the younger ones said. She and the other younger Valkyrie were more curious than confused.

" Good for you. Now move on." Tamsin said.

The two younger ones were about to walk away, but the older Valkyrie was still staring at Tamsin. A few seconds later, she inhaled hard and drew her sword out. " I know you!" She said, " You are the one who..." Hearing her saying that, the two other Valkyries drew their swords out too. One of them was so nervous that for a moment she couldn't decide if she should put her helmet on. She dropped her helmet on the ground at last.

" Shit!" Tamsin cursed. She drew her sword out and dashed to the older Valkyrie. She knew the other two were still on training. They couldn't fight much in the first place, and they could be easily scared away.

Bo pulled her dagger out. One of the younger Valkyries charged her. Bo dodged aside and grabbed her wrist. She pulled the young Valkyrie close and sucked the Chi out of her. The young Valkyrie passed out.

The other young Valkyrie was scared, as if she didn't know what she should do. She just stood there with her eyes wide open. The older one turned back and yelled at her, " Don't fucking stand there, Eira! Go get help!"

The younger Valkyrie Eira paused for a second or two, then turned around and started to run.

" Fuck!" Tamsin cursed. She parried the older Valkyrie's attack with her sword. Then she turned her sword and jerked her opponent aside. She dashed towards Eira, but the girl was already too far away. Tamsin grabbed the helmet she had dropped on the ground and threw it out. It hit her head, and the girl fell on the ground unconscious.

Tamsin heard the sword slashing behind her back, but she had no time to dodge it. She was about to take the attack, until she felt a strong pull. Bo grabbed her waist and pulled her away from it. They both fell on the ground.

Before they could stand up, the older Valkyrie dashed to them and slashed her sword towards Tamsin again. Tamsin parried it again. Then she looked over the older Valkyrie's shoulder and said, " Help me!"

The older Valkyrie was startled. She turned around to look behind her. Before she realized that Tamsin was lying, Tamsin's fist had already punched on her face. She was knocked out.

" Take care of you current enemy before you turn your head away, bitch." Tamsin stood up and spit. Bo stood up too.

" What are we gonna do with them? Are we gonna kill them?" Bo asked.

" No, just get the ropes out from my backpack and tie them to that tree. We';; be long gone before they can set themselves free and warn the others about us."

" Wow, I didn't picture you as the merciful type." Bo teased her.

" I am not." Tamsin shot a stare at her, " But I don't like the blood shed among the sisterhood either." She grabbed the rope and tied the three girls to the tree. She also tied their wrists and their ankles together, so it would take a lot of extra time before they could free themselves.

" Come on, let's go." Tamsin said. She saw Bo looking at the three unconscious Valkyries worried. " They'll be fine. They are fucking Valkyries, not peaches." She said, " We need to move."

* * *

After walking in the woods for another hour or two, they had finally arrive at the edge of the forest. The endless field of grass appeared in front of them. A huge castle stood on top of the hill, as if it was the only thing that existed there.

" I thought you said there were going to be a lot of fights." Bo said as they hid behind a row of bushes.

" The real fights haven't started yet." Tamsin said, " I wasn't planning on engaging those three dump asses at all."

" Then where are the fights?"

" When we get in, and get out." Tamsin pointed at the direction of the castle, " Look it yourself."

Bo saw groups of warriors guarding every entrance of the castle. There were lots of patrolling teams outside too. " Are we fighting all the way through?" She asked.

" Unless you have a better idea, we are." Tamsin gripped her sword tightly.

" Wait, you said there are no animals here, other than my father's ravens and Valkyrie's horses right?" Bo said. She saw some ravens hovering around the tower of the castle. "Is this my father's castle or something?"

" Yes, it's your father's place."

" This friend of yours... Acacia, she is imprisoned by my father?" Bo asked.

" Yeah. Odin put her in the prison." Tamsin said, " Why? You want to be on your father's side now?"

" No, no, of course not." Bo said, " If it's my father who imprisoned her, maybe I can talk some senses into him?"  
" No, you can't. The only thing you are going to get is him manipulating you. He'll make you promise something you don't want to do, in order to get what you want. Believe me, it's not worth it." Tamsin said.

" Like what?"

" Emmm... like asking you to bond with someone for the rest of your life?" Tamsin raised her eyebrows and stared at Bo.

" Oh, you mean that. I thought you said he couldn't force the bond."

" But he can make you believe that you have to do it. Once you convince yourself that you have to do it, it's your consent." Tamsin said, " Don't think that you can make a deal with him or anything. It's not worth it."

" Ok. Then we do this the hard way." Bo said as she pulled out her dagger. She paused for a while, then said, " Or maybe we don't have to... What if you pose as a guard, or a Valkyrie, and take me in as your prisoner?"

" Well, it's not the worst plan I've ever heard, but I do need a set of armor to get through. There are certain dress codes around this area."

" We can go back to strip one of the girls..."

" It's too far away. It's already noon now." Tamsin said, " If we do, we won't make it back till dusk, and we'll never make it through Valhalla. All the Valkyries will be there then."

" Then we'll need to get a set from somewhere here." Bo said.

" Hmmm..." Tamsin looked closely at the patrols for a while. Then she noticed something. " That patrol group over there. Every ten minutes they pass by the edge of the forest on that side." She said as she pointed to Bo, " If we ambush the last one there without them noticing, we may be able to get a set of armor from her."

" How they hell are we going to ambush him without them noticing?"

" I'll need you to make a distraction on the other side." Tamsin said.

" Ok. Let's do this then." Bo said.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

" Can't believe this actually worked..." Tamsin said to Bo as she put on the armor. The wearer of the armor was knocked out and unconscious right now. Bo gagged him and tied her up against a tree.

" Ok, so how do I do this? Pretend to be a prisoner?" Bo asked.

" Well, you don't have to pretend." Tamsin put on the helmet. She grabbed Bo's wrists and twisted her arms behind her back, " Let's go, prisoner."

" Wow, you really do know how to turn me on." Bo rolled her eyes at Tamsin. She could only see her blue eyes because the rest of her face was covered by the helmet.

" You know, you should probably struggle a little, just to be more convincing." Tamsin whispered to Bo as they walked towards the entrance of Valhalla. The patrols didn't take a second look at them, and the other team members of the patrol team they had just ambushed didn't realize one of their team mates was missing.

" Fine." Bo started to pretend that she was struggling, trying to break free. " This is refreshing... Reminds me the first time I met you, you were trying everything you could to put me in prison..."

" Who says I gave up?" Tamsin said. Her voice sounded a little bit weird coming from inside of the helmet.

Bo rolled her eyes. She stopped talking because they were very close to the entrance already.

Tamsin stopped in front of the sentinels guarding the entrance. " Permission to pass through with the prisoner."

The sentinel looked at Bo for a while. He didn't notice anything abnormal, so he just nodded and said, " Permission granted."

Tamsin nodded to him. She pushed Bo lightly so they could start walking and pass through the entrance.

They walked in the long, empty hallway inside Valhalla. Two columns of sentinels were standing on each side of the hall. They were all staring at Bo, but, it looked like none of them noticed anything wrong.

When they passed the hallway, there were no more sentinels. Bo saw herself and Tamsin standing in a big, well-decorated room with a red-gold color theme. The torches on the wall were out at the moment. The room was illuminated by four braziers at each corner of the room. The flames not only lit up the room, but made it warm too. Bo saw paintings on the walls. Most of them were about battles, or horse riding, or fighting. In the center of the east side of the room, there was a golden throne. Armor and weapons were scattered on the empty tables and chairs in the room.

" So this is Valhalla?" Bo asked with a low voice, but she could still hear the vague echoes in the room.

" It's the main room of Valhalla, where Odin, your beloved dad, meets all the Valkyries and the warrior souls every evening before the feast." Tamsin whispered.

" Where is the prison?" Bo asked.

" This way." Tamsin said.

* * *

Just like the sentinels they met before, the guards at the entrance of the prison let them in without asking any questions.

Bo suddenly felt a heavy feeling on her heart the moment she set her foot in the prison section. It felt cold, as if it had never been touched by any sunlight ever since it was built. There were no windows on the wall. The only light source was the torches hanging on the wall, and some of them weren't burning.

Bo could hear some vague moans coming from the cells which she could see clearly, along with the sound of metal chains dragging across on the stone floor. Most of the cells were empty, but she did see a few prisoners staring at them with their pale face.

" So, who are these prisoners really?" Bo whispered to Tamsin when she was sure they were far away enough from the guards.

" Valkyries who defied Odin, captured giants, anyone who he doesn't like." Tamsin shrugged.

They took a left turn on the long, narrow passage in the prison. Tamsin stopped and started to take off the armor.

" Emmm...it's probably not the best time for you to do a strip tease..." Bo said. She was not sure what Tamsin was doing.

" No, shit. This armor is as heavy as fuck!" Tamsin shot a stare at Bo. She opened an empty cell door and threw the armor pieces inside to the corner of the room. " Much better." She said as she pulled her jacket a little.

" Where is Acacia then?" Bo asked, " It looks to me like there are thousands of cells here."

" Probably in one of those cells at the very end of this area. It's where Odin keeps the prisoners he is never going to release."

" If he never wants to release someone, why doesn't he just kill him, or her?"

" Because sometimes death is a better way out?" Tamsin said as she looked at Bo.

Bo frowned. She thought she had heard about that same thing some time before from someone, but she couldn't remember from whom.

" Are you gonna come with me, or are you gonna stay here frowning?" Tamsin asked Bo.

Bo followed her. She was still trying to remember where she had heard that before.

As they walked into the inner section of the prison, Bo felt something, like what she felt in Taft's compound. She remembered that Tamsin told her that it was death, and whoever in there had begged for it. She felt a little bit scared, and subconsciously she moved closer to Tamsin.

" Not a big fan of prisons, huh?" Tamsin smirked, but she didn't move away from Bo, instead, she held one of Bo's hands in hers.

Bo grabbed Tamsin's hand tighter. Suddenly she remembered when Tamsin got shot, that one of the kitsunes had told her that death was gonna be a sweet out for Tamsin. Bo frowned. She hesitated for a while, then she asked, " Hey, let me ask you something."

" Emmm...I'd rather you didn't..." Tamsin said, " Not exactly the best time for a _talk_, ok?"

" No, I-" Bo was cut off by the sudden movement of Tamsin. The Valkyrie let go of her hand and dashed into one prison cell. Bo saw her kneeled down on the floor in front a dark shadow at the corner of the room.

" Acacia...?" Tamsin reached her hand out to remove the blanket on that prisoner. She turned her around, and it was Acacia.

Bo rushed to her. She saw an unconscious woman lying on the stone floor. She looked pale, and weak. " Is this her?" She asked Tamsin.

Tamsin nodded. She tried to wake Acacia up but she couldn't. She turned her head around to avoid Bo's stare, so the brunette wouldn't notice the tears in her eyes.

" What do we do now?" Bo asked.

" We get her out of here." Tamsin said, but she was not sure how they were going to get an unconscious woman out from the prison.

" Time for my tricks." Bo said. Tamsin raised her eyebrows and looked at her, but she was not sure what Bo meant by that. Before she could figure it out, the succubus' lips had already landed on hers.

Tamsin knew Bo was pulling her Chi out, but she still drowned in the kiss. For a moment, she realized that neither her nor Bo wanted to pull away from the kiss. Bo pulled her closer so she could kiss the blonde harder. Her senses had not come back to her until a few minutes later. Bo pulled back, gasping for air. Then she gave the Chi to Acacia.

" Wow, I didn't know you could give it back." Tamsin said.

" Yeah, I don't know why it doesn't work on you..." Bo said. Both of them wanted to continue the conversation, but the coughs from the elder Valkyrie stopped them.

" What- what was that shit!" Acacia coughed. She inhaled hard and raised herself up from the floor. With her eyes wide open, she immediately reached her hand out, trying to grab something as a weapon. Then she realized that she was in prison and she had no blades on her. She pulled herself back against the wall and stared at Tamsin and Bo.

" What the fuck are you doing here, bitch?" She asked Tamsin.

" We're here to get you out." Tamsin said. She grabbed Acacia's arm and pulled her up so she could sit on the floor.

" Why the hell on earth will you do such a dumb ass thing!" Acacia stared at her, still coughing, " Breaking into his prison, are you fucking out of your mind?!"

" Well, you can save your thanks later, 'cause I don't think we should stay here overnight." Bo said. She tried to help Tamsin to pull Acacia up.

" And who the fuck are you?" Acacia looked at Bo, with her eyes narrowed.

" She...emmm...she's Bo." Tamsin cleared her throat and said. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked away.

" The unaligned succubus bitch. Your mark?" Acacia said as she shook her head lightly. Her eyes were glued on Bo, moving from her face to her feet, as if she was trying to figure out what Bo was.

Bo frowned. She sensed the hostility from the elder Valkyrie, but strangely, it didn't scare her, nor did it annoy her.

" Alright, are we gonna talk our way out here, or are we gonna start walking right now?" Tamsin said.

Acacia tried to stand up, but she couldn't. She cursed.

" Looks like you are gonna need more juice..." Bo said. She was about to kiss Tamsin again, but before she could, she was cut off by a voice coming from behind. " Impressive. I can't believe you two actually made it through here."

" Shit!" Tamsin drew her sword out in her hand, and shoveled Bo behind her. " Svafa." She said, " Nice to see you again. I was hoping I'd get another chance to wale on your face today!"

Svafa smiled with her tongue licking her lips, as if she had locked on her prey. She pulled out both of her wrist blades. " Oh, I'm dying to taste some of your blood again." She said.

Tamsin wanted to say something, but she stopped because she saw three younger Valkyries walk out from behind Svafa. They were the ones they met in the woods earlier.

" I see. Three little birdies told you that we were here." Tamsin said.

" You are just unbelievably stupid, Tamsin. You really think you can get away with this?"

" Who says I want to get away with anything." Tamsin said, " I'm sorry, have I been gone that long? 'Cause last time I was here, instead of talking, we fought to solve problems."

" You'll get what you deserve." Svafa suddenly dashed to Tamsin with both of her blades slashing towards her. Tamsin rolled away on her knees to the other side of the room. She swung her sword at Svafa. The blades clashed into each other, and both of them stepped back.

" You three fucking stupid brats, get the succubus! Shit! Do I have to tell you everything?" Svafa yelled at the other three younger Valkyries. All of them were a little bit scared, especially the one who got sucked unconscious by Bo before. They hesitantly drew their swords out and approached Bo.

Bo had already pulled out her dagger in her hand. She grabbed the arm of the first Valkyrie who reached close to her and turned herself around to avoid her sword. She hit her face with her elbow. She hit her so hard that the Valkyrie banged herself to the wall on her head and passed out.

The older Valkyrie charged Bo. Bo pulled out a throwing knife from her holster and threw it to her. She was aiming at her leg but it hit her right wrist instead. The Valkyrie moaned in pain, and dropped her sword. She grabbed her right wrist with her left hand, as if she was not sure whether she should pick up her sword first, or she should pull out the throwing knife from her wrist. Before she could decide, Bo pulled the helmet off her face and bashed her head with it.

The last young Valkyrie looked terrified. She couldn't decide if she should run, or fight. Bo grabbed her hand and sent out her charms. " Eira, is it?" Bo smiled to her, " Listen, we are not here to cause any trouble, we are just here to save our friend... Listen to me, you don't want to fight us..."

Eira dropped her sword. A relaxed smiled appeared on her face. She nodded unconsciously. Bo let her go. Eira dropped on the floor, with a smile on her face.

Bo let out a deep breath and turned around to find Tamsin.

The blonde was still fighting Svafa. They were both lightly injured, but neither of them could subdue the other. Tamsin stepped aside to dodge Svafa's blades. Then she turned around and hit her face with the hilt of her sword. Svafa staggered back a few steps. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, and spit out some blood on the floor. " You are getting old." She said to Tamsin.

" Yeah, you should be grateful. Otherwise you'd be dead right now." Tamsin said. She thrust her sword at Svafa. Svafa dodge it. They started to fight closely again. She took a peak at Bo, and realized that the succubus was trying to get Acacia on her feet. Then she saw one of the young Valkyries just wake up. She picked up her sword to stab Bo.

" Fuck!" Tamsin cursed. She threw herself at Bo, with her sword in her hand she slashed it at the young Valkyrie, knocking the sword out of her hand. She and Bo both fell on the floor. Before she stood up and held up her sword again, Svafa's blades were already on her throat. She looked excited.

" So the rumors are real." Svafa said, " You and the succubus..."

" Shut your mouth." Tamsin stared at her, " You know Odin still wants me alive right now, right?"

" Yeah, of course, but he didn't say I couldn't cut some holes into you..." Svafa raised her right hand a little and stabbed Tamsin's shoulder with her blade.

" No!" Bo shouted and covered Tamsin with her own body. She was waiting for the blade to fall on her, but it didn't. She raised her head to look at Svafa, and realized that the young Valkyrie grabbed Svafa's hand. " We don't shed blood among the sisterhood, not like this." She said to Svafa hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure she should say this.

" Fuck off!" Svafa slapped her with her arm, and knock her out. She turned around and raised her blade again. Bo grabbed her wrist before she could stab her again. She tried to force Svafa's blade back, but the Valkyrie was stronger than her. The blade inched forward. Bo took a deep breath, and kissed Svafa. She drew her Chi out as fast as she could. The Valkyrie struggled for a second or two, then she was completely overwhelmed by the feeding. A few minutes later, she passed out on the floor too.

Bo stood up, gasping for air. " Are you ok?" She asked Tamsin.

" Yeah, I'm fine." Tamsin got up from the floor. She had a few bleeding wounds on her body, but she was fine.

Bo held Acacia's face and gave all the Chi she just took from Svafa to Acacia. The elder Valkyrie finally had enough strength to stand up and walk. " Not sure what that shit was, but it worked." Acacia said. She picked up a sword from the floor in her left hand.

" What are we gonna do with them?" Bo asked as she pointed at the other Valkyries on the floor.

" Tie them up I guess." Tamsin said. She took off the shackles from Acacia and tied Svafa and the other two Valkyrie up together. " Hey, where is that Eira chick?" Tamsin asked.

" I don't know. She-" Bo was interrupted by a sudden noise coming from the entrance of the prison.

" Bitch must have run away and alerted the guards." Acacia said.

" Actually I was surprised that they didn't alert the guards when they got here." Bo said, frowning.

" Because Svafa here..." Tamsin kicked the unconscious Valkyrie on her legs, " wanted to bring us in all by herself, so she could get a bone or two from Odin tonight."

" Anyway, we need to go now." Bo said. She sheathed her dagger and picked up the throwing knife from the floor, " Is there a back door or something?"

" Unfortunately, no. We'll have to fight all the way through." Acacia said as she walked out of the prison cell. To Bo's surprise, she had a smile on her face, as if she was really looking forward to a fight.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

A group of guards were coming towards them, with Eira leading in front.

" Luckily she is so new to this business." Tamsin said as she took Eira's sword with her own and pushed Eira backwards. She then punched on her face and knock her out.

" What do you mean?" Bo asked as she hit one of the guards with a helmet she didn't even know where she had grabbed from.

" If she called the Valkyries instead of the guards, we probably can't make our way out like this." Tamsin stabbed two guards at one time with her sword. Both of them passed out on the floor.

Bo and Tamsin turned around, but they found out that all the other guards were already down. Acacia was standing in the middle of them, with the bloody sword in her hand.

" Wow, you still got your moves." Bo said as she sheathed her blade. She had no idea how Acacia did it.

" Feels like 1812 running through my vein." Acacia said. She wiped the blood off the sword on one of the guards' clothes.

They ran out from the prison. The bright sunlight outside almost killed Bo's eyes for a second or two.

" Oh this is not good..." Acacia said.

" What is not good?" Bo asked.

Tamsin sighed. " The patrols and the guards are all gone. They must have followed the emergency protocol."

" The emergency protocol?" Bo was confused.

" Someone probably alerted the sisterhood of the Valkyries about us, and there are certain steps they take to deal with situation like this. For example, the guards were all going back to protect Odin's palace. And the Valkyries are coming out hunting us, with the dead warrior souls. We must hurry to the warp station." Tamsin said, " Let's go."

They started to move towards the nearest warp station, which Tamsin had told Bo about before. It was right beside the prison area, but it already had groups of Valkyries and warrior souls guarding.

" Are those blue-ish people the dead warrior souls?" Bo asked Tamsin. She had never seen them before. They looked just like normal people, except that they all have a light blue glow to their silhouettes, as if blue lights were emitting from inside of them.

Acacia looked at Bo as if she had just said something weird. " Baby Fae. Doesn't know shit." Tamsin said to Acacia. Acacia nodded and turned around.

" What are we gonna do?" Bo asked, " Are we gonna fight through them?"

" No, we can't fight all these people. Even if we could, the back up would arrive long before we knock them all on the ground." Acacia said, " We have to find a warp station further away from here."

" Well what about the one we came through?" Bo asked.

" A few hours of walk, but I think we can make it before midnight." Tamsin said as she raised her head to look at the sky. She turned around and started to walk. " Come on, let's go."

" Why do we have to make it before midnight?" Bo was confused.

Tamsin stiffened. She almost forgot that Bo didn't know about the three day deadline of hers. " Nothing, it's just it's much harder to travel at night." She lied to Bo.

Acacia frowned, but she didn't say anything. She picked up her pace so she could walk right beside Tamsin.

" Don't bullshit me about the harder-to-travel-at-night, bitch." Acacia lowered her voice, " What's going on?"

" Nothing. Nothing you need to worry about. We'll get you out of here." Tamsin said. She looked away so the look in her eyes wouldn't give her away. Not only she was afraid that Acacia might figure out what was going on, but also she didn't want Bo to hear them.

Acacia studied the look on Tamsin's face, and she knew something was wrong. " He had some new assignment for you, didn't he? And again you are trying to deal with it _your way_?" Acacia said sarcastically.

" Doesn't matter. It won't matter anymore after tonight." Tamsin said.

" Oh you bitch, don't you dare to play this I-have-a-secret card on me right now. I've known this shitty business long before you were even born." Acacia said, " Tonight is your deadline, isn't it? Finish your job or die?"

Tamsin sighed. Instead of saying anything, she admitted it with her silence.

" What did he ask you to do this time?" Acacia asked.

Tamsin took a deep breath. She walked faster so they could stay further away from Bo. " To deliver a potion." She said.

" Potion for what?"

" A potion to force a Valkyrie's bond..." Tamsin said, " Look, can we just focus on getting you out of here first?"

" So that's why you decided to come and rescue me, because you know you don't have much time left anyway." Acacia said. She paused for a while and added, " Just finish the fucking job! Why the hell do you want to die?"

" I-" Tamsin was cut off by Bo, who finally caught up with them. " What are you two talking about?" She asked Tamsin.

" Just the route we are gonna take towards the warp station." Tamsin smirked, " You better keep up, or we are gonna dump you here."

Acacia wanted to say something, but she looked over Bo's shoulder and cursed. " Shit! Bitches found us!" She said, drawing her sword out.

Bo turned around. She saw a group of Valkyries and warrior souls on horses coming towards them. Svafa was leading the group. She looked like she was about to devour them if she could get her hands on them.

" Fuck..." Tamsin cursed, " There is no way we can outrun the battle horses on foot."

" Well, we could use some horses." Acacia said. Then she turned to Bo and said, " Please, tell me you can ride a horse."

" I guess..." Bo murmured.

" Let's do this." Tamsin said to Acacia.

" Wait, do what?" Bo was still not sure.

" You, stay out of trouble." Tamsin shot a stare at her, " And cover for us. See anyone get close to us, put a damn throwing knife to his head."

" Ok..." Bo said. She watched Acacia and Tamsin ran towards the group of people who were after them with her eyes wide open. She was not sure what they were going to do.

A warrior soul dashed towards Tamsin on his horse, with a long spear in his right hand. He thrust the spear to Tamsin. Tamsin parried the attack with her sword, but she didn't move. She grabbed the spear in her hand tightly. The warrior soul was startled. He tightened the reins and his horse just stopped. Tamsin threw her sword on the ground and reached her hand to the side of the saddle. She pulled herself up on the horse and bashed her head into the warrior soul's chin before he could even make a move. The warrior lost his balance and fell off the horse, left his spear in Tamsin's hand. Tamsin grabbed the reins in her other hand and forced the horse to run to the opposite direction where Bo was at.

A few Valkyries approached her on horses, waving their weapons at her. Tamsin swung the spear around and fended off two swords, but she was surrounded.

One of the Valkyries waved her claymore to Tamsin. Tamsin dodge it but the other Valkyries were getting closer. Another Valkyrie waved her sword to Tamsin and Tamsin lowered her body to avoid it. When she straightened herself up, she saw one Valkyrie was lying on the ground, with a throwing knife on her shoulder blade. The one next to her was pulling her horse back so she wouldn't get hit by Bo's darts. Tamsin leaped her horse and escaped from the encirclement.

Tamsin turned around and saw Acacia had already got on a horse. A few warrior souls were lying on the ground behind her.

" Go get a horse for the unaligned succubus!" Acacia yelled at Tamsin.

Tamsin dashed towards the unmounted horses and grabbed the reins of the nearest one. She pulled both reins in her hand so two horses were running next to each other.

The other pursuers knew they couldn't stand a chance on catching Tamsin and Acacia when they were both on the back of horses, so they dashed towards Bo, who was still on foot.

" Shit!" Tamsin cursed. She had to release the other horse so she could fight. She threw her spear at the warrior soul who was getting closer to Bo. He was knocked off by it and fell on the ground. Tamsin dashed to Bo. She lowered her body from the saddle so she could reach her hand to the ground and pick up a sword dropped by one of the pursuers. She waved the sword in her hand, trying to get closer to Bo. She reached out and grabbed the brunette by her waist. Holding her tight, she pulled Bo up on the back of her horse.

More than half of the pursuers were knocked off or wounded now, but the rest were still chasing them.

" We need to get rid of them!" Acacia said to Tamsin.

" I know!" Tamsin said. She took out a rope from the bag on the side of the saddle and threw one end of it to Acacia. Then they split and ran to the left and the right side of the pursuers separately.

Acacia nodded to Tamsin. When they were about to engage them, they suddenly tightened the rope in their hands and pulled the rope hard. The pull to the opposite direction knock off all the riders from the back of their horses. They wanted to mount back, but before they could, Acacia whistled, and all the unmounted horses just turned around and galloped back towards Valhalla.

" See ya, bitches!" Acacia waved her hand to them as they dashed away.

" If we are lucky, we can probably get to the warp station in an hour." Tamsin said. They were riding on the horses in the woods for a while now, and no one had shown up for them yet.

" I never bet my luck against him." Acacia said as she looked around to make sure everything was ok.

Bo wanted to say something, but before any words came out from her throat, she saw Acacia stop her horse suddenly. The elder Valkyrie looked alert, as if she sensed something was wrong.

Then she saw Tamsin do the same thing. " Fuck." The blonde cursed, " Is that...?"

" Howling wolves." Acacia nodded.

" Wolves?" Bo turned to Tamsin and said, " I thought you said there were only ravens and horses in Asgard."

" They are not real. They are the dire wolf spirits summoned by the druids." Tamsin said.

Before any one of them could say anything else, they saw a pack of black wolves dashing towards them. They were huge, and fierce. Their eyes were pure white with no pupils, yet they were glittering. Bo had seen Dyson shape shifting a few times before, but even his wolf couldn't compare with the size of the spirits she was seeing right now.

Tamsin and Acacia kicked their horses hard, and they started to run as fast as they could. The wolves were chasing after them closely. One of the wolves jumped towards Tamsin. Tamsin waved her sword and knocked the animal off before it dug it claws into the horse back.

" How are we gonna get rid of them?" Bo yelled. She tried hard not to bite her tongue while talking on the back of a running horse. She threw out a dart or two, but she didn't hit anything because the road was too bumpy in the first place and the horse was going to fast.

" We can't! Hopefully we can outrun them and hit the warp station first." Tamsin said.

They kept running for a while, until they felt a sudden vibration from the ground, together with some loud noises coming from above the mountain.

" Damn!" Acacia cursed. A few huge rocks rolled down from the top of the mountain as she spoke. The horses were scared by them and they jumped away.

" Fucking druids! They summoned an earthquake!" Tamsin cursed. The horses were too scared to advance. They had to abandon the horses and walk on foot.

The wolf pack was fast approaching. It looked like they were used to the falling rocks and trees. They hopped on top of them and jumped towards Bo, Tamsin and Acacia.

Tamsin waved her sword in a perfect semi-circle and cut two wolves in halves. They vanished as black smoke in the air, instead of leaving any bodies on the ground.

Bo followed Tamsin and Acacia. They slowly moved towards the warp station on the mountain while killing the wolves on the way. The rocks were still falling from above, and so were the trees beside them. For a moment, they couldn't even keep their feet on the ground because the ground was shaking so hard.

The wolf pack was getting closer and closer. They almost surrounded them. Bo killed a few wolves by using her dart, so were Tamsin and Acacia, but there were more and more wolves coming.

Eventually Bo saw two men standing behind the wolf packs. Both of them were on wolves' back with staves in their hands. They were wearing animal pelts, with helmets on their head shaped like wolf heads. Their lips were moving, like they were whispering.

" What are they talking about?" Bo asked as she stabbed a wolf which was trying bite her arm.

" They are not talking. They are using their magic to control the wolf packs!" Tamsin replied as she pinned two wolves on the ground with her spear in a row.

" If only we could stop their damn magic!" Acacia yelled.

Bo nodded. She suddenly dashed out towards the druids. The druids were a little bit startled, as if they were not expecting Bo's move. A few wolves turned around and chased Bo. One of them took a bite on Bo's boot, Bo stomped him on his head and kicked him away. Seconds later she was right in front of the druids. She hopped on one of the druids' mounts and grabbed his arm. A wolf finally caught up with her. It jumped on her back and bite her right shoulder. A sharp pain almost knocked Bo out. She could feel the sharp fangs of the dire wolf digging into her flesh, reaching for her bones. The claws of him scratched her back hard, tearing her jacked into pieces. She gathered all the strength she had to send out her charms to the druid. " You don't want to fight us. You want to fight the other druid. You want to send your wolves to him, not us." Bo whispered to him.

As soon as she finished her whisper, she felt the bite on her shoulder eased. The wolf got off her and landed on the ground. He joined his pack, going after the wolves controlled by the other druid. Two druids were hitting each other's head with their staves too.

Tamsin ran to Bo. She looked angry, and worried. " Damn it, Bo!" She said, " What was the first fucking rule I told you about?"

" Well, technically I didn't throw myself between you and anything, so..." Bo said.

" Oh you just know how to pissed me off!" Tamsin stared at her.

" Are we really gonna talk about this right here, right now? Let's go!" Bo said. She could feel the blood running out from her shoulder wound. It was so painful that she couldn't even hold her dagger tight. She had to switch it to her left hand. She just followed Tamsin and Acacia, trying hard not to fall behind.

" How far away is it?" Bo asked.

" Probably another hour or so..." Tamsin said. Then she was cut off by Acacia. The elder Valkyrie cursed and held her sword up.

A group of Valkyries appeared in front of them. They were well equipped. Svafa was standing in front of them.

" You just keep showing up, bitch!" Tamsin said.

Svafa laughed. " Get them!" She pointed them out to the other Valkyries. They charged towards them, forcing them to fall back.

" Shit. We are not gonna make it to the warp station now." Tamsin said, " I think there is another one on the other side of the mountain. Maybe we can get there."

" Ok." Bo said.

Acacia didn't say anything. She just went ahead in front of two of them and lead the way. The other Valkyrie were running after them. Seconds later, Bo felt the arrows flying towards them. She turned around while running with Tamsin and Acacia, and saw a few Valkyries holding crossbows in their hands, shooting arrows at them.

" Fuck this shit!" Tamsin cursed. She suddenly turned around and ran towards the pursuers. With her sword waving in her hand, she parried most of the arrows. One of them shot through her shoulder, but she didn't care. She just pulled it out and threw it on the ground. Svafa charged her, but before she reached Tamsin, Tamsin had already knocked out the crossbow shooters. She rolled on her knees and avoided being stabbed by Svafa's wrist blades.

" Catch!" Tamsin yelled to Bo and Acacia as she threw the crossbows and the arrow quivers to them.

" I need you to load the crossbows for me. Hand them to me one at a time." Acacia said to Bo.

" Ok." Bo quickly loaded one and handed it to her. She wanted to ask Acacia why she couldn't do it herself, but she thought it was probably not the best time, so she just followed her orders.

With Bo loading the arrows for her, Acacia shot them out non-stop by switching between several crossbows. She managed to shoot down most of the Valkyries. Tamsin was still fight with Svafa. Acacia aimed a couple of times, but she just couldn't get a clear shot at Svafa.

Tamsin fought against Svafa for a while, until she finally stabbed her on her thigh and pinned her against a tree with her sword. Svafa struggled but she couldn't get off the tree.

" You are going to die soon!" She yelled at Tamsin.

" Not by your fucking hands at least!" Tamsin said as she headed to Bo and Acacia.

Before they could decide which way to go, two groups of Valkyries and dead warrior souls were coming from both sides of the forest towards them.

" Fuck! Fuck!" Tamsin cursed, "I guess we don't have a choice but to climb up then."

They started to climb up, with lots of people chasing after them. Bo grabbed a tree trunk, trying to pull herself up, but the pain coming from her shoulder was just too strong, that she couldn't even manage to grip the tree trunk tight enough. Her finger slipped and she couldn't reach her arm out again.

" Wow, watch out!" Tamsin grabbed her arm and pulled her up before she fell.

Acacia took a glance at Bo. Seeing her pale face, and the fact she was biting her lips, Acacia cursed. " Dire wolf bite is a fucking bitch!" She said.

The pursuers were getting closer and closer, when the sun slid behind the mountains. The moon appeared on the horizon. It looked so vague, almost invisible in the sunset.

At the same time, Bo saw a small shrine appeared in front of them out of nowhere, as if it had just flashed from some other space.

" A hell of a piece of luck!" Acacia said. She ran into the shrine, with Tamsin and Bo close behind her.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Was gonna update this chapter last night, but was down or something...**

* * *

Chapter 22

They all rushed into the shrine. The pursuers were only a few steps away. Bo saw Acacia grab the blade of her sword and cut her palm. Then she slammed her hand on the alter in the center of the shrine.

" Mani, the Lord of the moon, let me humbly call your name. We ask for sanctuary!" Acacia said out loud.

Like a magic casting upon them, suddenly the noise outside disappeared. Bo looked out from the door of the shrine, but she couldn't see anyone pursuers, as if they had just vanished from thin air. It was only the mountains, and the clear moonlight outside.

" What happened?" Bo asked.

" I just declared sanctuary in this shrine of Mani. I gotta tell ya, we are damn lucky tonight." Acacia said. She sat down on the ground, pressing her back against the wall. She was exhausted from the fights.

Bo was still a little bit confused about the lucky part. She looked at Acacia, then she turned to Tamsin. Tamsin sighed. " Mani is the God of the moon. His shrines are only visible to us during moonrise. If it wasn't because of the perfect timing, we'd have no where to run..."

" Oh..." Bo nodded. She paused for a while, then added, " So we are safe now, right?"

" For now." Acacia said, " The sanctuary only lasts till sunrise. Before we figure out a plan, we are dead, soon or later."

" Then let's figure out a plan..." Bo murmured. She could barely stand. The wolf bite wound hurt like someone was sawing her flesh and bones off, one piece at a time. She tried really hard but she couldn't stop her right arm from trembling. Her right sleeve was completely drenched with blood. Knowing that they were temporarily safe, her attention was completely drawn to the pain, which made it much worse.

Tamsin saw Bo sitting on the ground, biting her lips but agonizing moans still escaped from her throat. She pulled Bo close and checked her shoulder. " Shit! You need to feed." She whispered to her.

Bo opened her eyes wide and stared at Tamsin. She didn't expect that Tamsin would ask her to feed off her while Acacia was looking at them, but before she could say anything, Tamsin already pressed her lips on Bo's.

Although almost all their previous kisses were somewhat awkward, Bo had never felt this embarrassed, because no one ever stared at them when they were kissing before. But since their lips had already met, she decide that she should just go with it. With Tamsin's Chi flowing through, the pain on her shoulder disappeared in seconds. She unconsciously laid her hands on Tamsin's waist, pulling the Valkyrie closer. But instead of her warm, silky skin, she felt something wet. Bo broke the kiss and pulled herself back. She lifted Tamsin's shirt and checked. She saw a very deep wound on Tamsin's lower back. Her body was almost pierced through by Svafa's blade. The lower part of her shirt and the upper part of her jeans were all red. Bo stared at her, then she realized that the Valkyrie had a few other injuries, and she looked pale.

" Damn it, Tamsin!" Bo exclaimed, " You shouldn't have let me feed!"

" I'll be fine..." Tamsin said, " Just need some rest." She felt light headed. She smiled to Bo weakly and murmured, " That Svafa bitch... One day I'm gonna seriously kick her sorry ass..." Then she lay down and rested her head on Bo's lap. She closed her eyes.

" Tamsin! Hey!" Bo tapped her face lightly, but the blonde didn't answer her, nor did she open her eyes. Bo was terrified. She checked her pulse with her trembling hands. She was so afraid that there was going to be no pulse. Feeling the weak pulse, she sighed with a great relief.

" Relax." Acacia said, " That's how we Valkyries heal ourselves. When injured badly, we go into this coma like mode, allowing our bodies to heal."

" Right. She did this when she was shot..." Bo suddenly remembered that when Tamsin took the bullet for her, she went unconscious for hours before she woke up.

Acacia didn't say anything. She just sat there and stared at Bo, as if she was trying to figure something out.

Bo looked at Tamsin. She pulled her hand close and laid a light kiss on her fingers. Then she interlocked her fingers with Tamsin's and held her hand tight. She knew Acacia was beside them and she was staring at her, but she just couldn't help it. The moonlight shined through the door, like nothing had just happened, like the chase, the wolves, the earthquake and the blood and battles were just a bad dream. The clear, bright moonlight shined on Tamsin's face, giving her a pearly gloss. Bo caressed her face slowly with her hand, her heart filled with feelings she couldn't explain. Not until now had she realized how much she cared about the Valkyrie, and how much the Valkyrie meant to her.

" She's going to be ok, right?" Bo asked Acacia, " We'll figure out a plan, and we'll get out of here safe, right?"

Acacia didn't answer her. She just stared at Bo for a long time. Then finally she opened her mouth. " You really don't know anything, do you?" She asked.

" Know what?" Bo was confused, " Are you talking about the chosen one, and the bonding Valkyrie crap? Because if you are, you are right about me not knowing shit."

" Bonding Valkyrie?" Acacia raised her voice.

" Yeah, apparently my father has chosen some strong Valkyrie to bond with me. He said I needed to be stronger, or something..."

" But you are not bonded yet." Acacia said.

" I'm not gonna bond with someone I don't even know for the rest of my life." Bo said, " And good luck with him, because he can't force me to bond with anyone." She paused for a while, then hesitantly added, " Or can he?"

" He can't force you." Acacia said, " But there is a potion which can force the bond, even without your consent."

" What?!" Bo exclaimed, " How come Tamsin didn't tell me about this?"

Acacia huffed out a light laugh, but she said nothing. She sat there with her eyebrows furrowed, as if she was trying to figure something out. " When did your father tell you about this bonding thing?" She asked.

" Two, three days ago, I think." Bo said, " So, this potion you mentioned, it really can force me to bond with anyone?"

" Yes."

" Then why didn't my father give it to me or anything? I mean, it sounds more like him if he forces me to drink it, right?"

" He can't. It has to be delivered by someone who is unwilling to do so..." Acacia said. She sat there for a while in silence.

" Then who is going to deliver it?" Bo asked.

Acacia sighed. " Don't worry. You'll be fine." She said.

" Well, we don't really have time for my father's crap right now anyway. We need to get out of here first, after Tamsin wakes up." Bo said. She lowered her head to look at the Valkyrie. With her hand in hers, Bo felt her heart aching a little. She caressed her face gently and laid a kiss on her hand again.

Acacia had been watching Bo ever since they declared sanctuary in the shrine. It was not hard for her to figure out that Tamsin was ordered to deliver the potion to Bo, but she chose to give up her own life instead of forcing Bo to do something against her will. She could also tell the succubus cared a lot about Tamsin, and apparently she had no idea about what was going to happen in a few hours. She struggled hard in her mind whether she should tell the brunette the truth or not. Seeing the look on Bo's face when she looked at Tamsin, Acacia felt that she had to tell her the truth. " She's not gonna wake up." She said in a low voice, " Even if she does, she couldn't live past midnight tonight anyway."

Bo raised her head to stare at Acacia. She was too shocked to reply. At first she thought she didn't hear it correctly. After she made sure that Acacia was not joking, she finally said, " What?"

" She has an assignment from Odin, and the deadline is tonight. She didn't finish her job, and she will be punished by death."

" Are you serious?" Bo asked as she studied the look on Acacia's face, and she realized that the elder Valkyrie was telling the truth. Fear occupied Bo's heart, as if someone was squeezing it hard. She had to force herself to breathe. " Why did she finish her job then? Is it because she had to come here to rescue you instead of doing her job? We still have few hours left till midnight. Maybe I can do the assignment for her, or maybe I can talk some sense to my father...? She can't die. She can't die..."

" I don't think it's possible." Acacia clenched her lips.

" Why? Do you know what her task is?"

" Your father asked her to deliver the bonding potion to you, and she decided not to." Acacia said, " There is nothing you can do."

" What? How could she not tell me that? Does she know tonight is the deadline?" Bo asked.

" Of course she does! She chose not to deliver the potion to you, your idiot!" Acacia frowned at Bo.

Bo stayed quiet for a while. She squeezed Tamsin's hand subconsciously. Then something occurred to her. " That was why she decided to come here alone. The way she talked about it, she knew she was not going to make it back in the first place. Why would she do that?"

" The same reason why she wouldn't deliver you to Odin at first?"

" What do you mean by she wouldn't deliver me at first?"

" Bitch found out you were her mark long time ago, and she kept stalling the delivery. Odin sent me to talk some sense into her stubborn head. Guess what she told me?"

" What did she say?"

" She said that she would find someone else to deliver, that she would make a trade." Acacia laughed, " God her stupidity, pissed me off!"

" So you convinced her to deliver me at last?"  
" Well, a part of me convinced her." Acacia said sarcastically.

Bo was confused. " What do you mean?" She asked.

Acacia sighed. She raised her right hand and showed it to Bo. Instead of a hand, Bo saw a clean cut on her wrist. She opened her mouth in shock. She suddenly realized why Acacia had to ask her to load the crossbows. " What happened?" Bo asked.

" Your father happened. He chopped off my right hand and sent it to Tamsin." Acacia said, " That's why she decided to deliver you at last. She knew she had nowhere to run."

" And then she drove her truck off the cliff...trying to hit my father..."Bo murmured as she closed her eyes, frustrated. She had finally figured out what was going on with Tamsin's life, and the Valkyrie had told her nothing. She couldn't imagine how desperate or scared the blonde was, but she did remember the look in the Valkyrie's eyes, and she did remember the taste of fear on her lips. Then she remembered the vulnerable look the blonde gave her after their fight in Taft's compound. She told her that she didn't know what to do, and Bo told her to fight. She told her to fight, when she had absolutely no idea what was waiting for the blonde if she chose to fight against Odin. The blonde made all those choices for her sake, knowing that she was going to die. Thinking about the pains the blonde had gone through, without her knowing any of it, Bo felt a dull pain exploded in her chest.

" How could you not tell me anything? How could you do this to me?" Bo asked the blonde, who was still unconscious. The pain in Bo's chest almost choked her. She suddenly recalled all the moments when Tamsin was drunk or half drunk, and she looked like she had something to tell her, but they all ended up with she saying nothing.

" She's a stubborn bitch, and dead stupid. " Acacia said," That's what it is."

" Why would she do this? Why would she give up her own life?"

" You really don't know, or you are just trying to ignore it too hard?" Acacia frowned at Bo.

" I'm not sure what you mean..." Bo said.

Acacia sighed. " Oh...this is just great..." She murmured, looking up at the ceiling. She paused there for a long time, as if she was trying to figure out whether she should say it to Bo. Eventually she continued," The bitch has feeling for you, you dumbass! She cares about you, big time!"

" What?" Bo was startled.

" Oh my God, you are such an idiot! She chose you over her own fucking life, if it wasn't for that, what else could it possibly be?"

Acacia's words pierced through Bo's ear just like they pierced through her heart. For a moment she just sat there with her mind wiped blank. Then suddenly she realized that everything had an explanation now, everything that confused her before. the kiss in Brazenwood, the conversation in the bathtub, the way she looked at her, the bullet she took for her, and everything else happened between them.

Bo gazed at the blonde's face. The blonde was sleeping peacefully underneath the moonlight, with Bo's tears and her own blood on her face. Even in her dreams, her eyebrows were furrowed a little, and her hand gripped Bo's tightly. " You have...you have feelings...for me?" Bo murmured to the blonde, " I never thought...you never said...you never told me anything..." She had never thought that the blonde would have feelings for her, because the blonde always acted like she hated her, but then Bo thought about the moments when they were alone in her bed, the sweet kisses, the soft touches, the whispers, how she tucked herself close to her, how she rested her head against her chest, how she cupped her face when she was trying to say something. Bo realized that she should have figured it out a long time ago, and right now she just felt stupid that she didn't. _How could I miss that?_ She asked herself, _how could I not have known this before?_

Now that she had finally found out that the blonde had feelings for her, when the blonde only had hours to live. Bo felt something was about to burst through her chest. It was so agonizing that she could hardly breathe.

" No...there must be something that I can do to save her..." Bo murmured, " We still have time, don't we? I can tell my father that I'll bond with anyone he picks. I'll do everything he says if he agrees to spare her life."

" No, the only reason she is still alive right now, is your father still hopes that she will deliver the potion on time. Once you bond, she's no use to him anymore." Acacia said, " Even if he let her live, she would just become a tool to manipulate you for the rest of your life."

" Then what should I do? Tell me something, anything." Bo said.

" There is one thing you can do..." Acacia said.

" I'll do it. I'll do it, I swear. Just tell me what it is."

" The same thing that forced her to give up her own life." Acacia said, " The Valkyrie's bond."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

" Valkyrie's bond? But you just said I shouldn't bond with anyone!"

" No, I'm not asking you to do that." Acacia sighed.

" So what exactly are you asking me to do?" Bo was a little bit angry.

" The only way to save her right now is to force your father to back off, permanently. You have to force him to make a deal with you."

" How?"

" What is the last thing your father wants right now?"

" Emmm... I don't know..." Bo was confused.

" The last thing he wants right now, is for you to die."

" So?"

" You need to convince him, that if Tamsin dies, you will die too."

" So what? I just put a knife on my neck and tell him that?"

" No." Acacia rolled her eyes at her, " Shit! You two are equally stupid as fuck! I'm asking you to bond with her, so if your father kills her, he'd be killing you too. That's how you make him back off, period!"

" Me bond with Tamsin?" Bo said, " But isn't it like the Valkyrie has to fall for me or something?"

Acacia rolled her eyes at Bo, as if she just couldn't stand Bo's stupidity. " Oh, I'm pretty sure we got that part covered. The bitch is willing to die for you! If that doesn't fucking count as falling for you, I don't know what else to call it." Acacia stopped talking. She looked at Bo carefully, then continued, "The question is, are you willing to risk your life for hers?"

" Yes." Bo said it without hesitation, before she even thought about what Acacia had just said. She herself was startled by her own answer too. She paused for a moment, then asked, " Why do I have to risk my life for it?"

" What if your father get so pissed that he decides he'd rather kill you both?"

Bo went silent for a while. She gently caressed the blonde's face with her thumb. The only thing she knew right now was that she couldn't lose her, not like this. She lowered her head and laid a kiss on the Valkyrie's forehead. Then she raised her head and stared at Acacia. " Then that's risk I'm willing to take." She said calmly.

" Are you sure?" Acacia asked, " Because once the bonding ritual starts, there is no turning back."

" Yes, I am sure." Bo said, " Just tell me what to do."

Acacia took a deep breath. She stood up and walked to Bo. " Then I guess it's your lucky day, succubus. To form a Valkyrie's bond, we need a falling Valkyrie, a willing warrior, a witness, a ritual performer, and a place of the Gods. We are in fact in a God's shrine, and I will be the witness and the performer." She said, " Give me your right hand."

Bo reached her hand out. Acacia pulled Bo's dagger out and started to carve runic letters on Bo's hand. Bo gasped when she saw the blood coming out. She bit her bottom lip hard so she wouldn't scream. Then Acacia moved up to her arm to carve more. Bo clenched her fist hard to ease the pain.

It took a while for Acacia to finish the carvings. Then she did the same thing on Tamsin's left hand and arm. The blonde frowned and moaned in her dreams, but she didn't wake up.

" Now press your palm on hers." Acacia said. Bo let Tamsin lean on her chest and grabbed the blonde's left hand with her left hand. Before she pressed her right palm on hers, she stopped. " Wait, my blood...emmm...enthralls people..."

" It's ok. The bonding ritual will override any blood spells at this moment." Acacia said, " Beside, can't you see that the bitch is already obsessed with you?"

Bo blushed. She quietly pressed her palm on Tamsin's and slowly intertwined her fingers with the blonde's. The blonde unconsciously held her fingers tight.

" Ok. Just hold still and don't break it under any circumstance." Acacia said to Bo. Then she started to chant. Bo couldn't understand a word she was saying, so she just sat there and held Tamsin's hand as tight as she could.

After a few minutes, Bo felt an energy forming in the air, like static electricity, and a breeze of wind. Then she felt it in her body, and it was getting stronger and stronger. She also felt a gust of wind coming from somewhere and it blew across her face as if she was standing on the peak of a mountain. Then she noticed her arm and Tamsin's starting to glow and then watched in awe as rays of lights shot up from the runic letters that Acacia had carved into their skin.

Acacia's voice was getting louder and louder. It hummed inside the small shrine. For a moment, it was so strong that Bo almost fell back. She felt something was pushing her away, but at the same time, pulling her closer. She closed her eyes and held her breath. The only thing she could do right now was to hold the blonde's hand as hard as she could.

When the last word came out of Acacia's mouth, a very fierce explosion consumed Bo's chest. It was not painful, but, Bo had a strong urge to scream, and she did. Instead of her own voice, she heard something roaring loud in the air like thunder.

After a while, she opened her eyes. The electricity, the gust and the thunder all disappeared, and so did the carvings on her arm and Tamsin's arm. Bo opened her eyes wide and touched her arm. It looked like nothing was on there ever. The only mark left on her was a runic letter in her palm. She checked Tamsin's left palm, a similar mark was left on hers too.

" The bonding is done now." Acacia nodded to Bo. She looked tired.

" This is it?"

" How do you feel?"

" I don't know..." Bo frowned, " I don't really feel anything in particular, I mean..."

" It'll take a while to form the connection between you two, and it will get stronger as time goes by."

" So what do I do now?"

" Talk to your father and negotiate the terms, dumbass." Acacia said.

* * *

Bo walked out of the shrine by herself. Groups of Valkyries and warrior souls surrounded that place. Seeing Bo coming out, they all held up their weapons and inched forward.

" I need to talk to my father, about the Valkyrie's bonding." Bo said, " And I know your orders are to bring me in alive, so, don't bother trying to scare me with your swords and crossbows."

The crowd went quiet for a while. Then they silently moved apart, leaving a path in the middle.

Bo saw Odin slowly walking towards her, with two ravens on his shoulders. Instead of the suits Bo saw on him before, he was wearing a set of armors. It shined underneath the moonlight. His helmet had an eye patch and it covered his blinded eye. He had a broadsword in his right hand and a shield in his left.

He stopped in front of Bo and stared at her. " I'm glad Tamsin finally gave your the drink."

" No. She didn't." Bo said.

" That ungrateful brat!" Odin said, " Time for her life to end then."

" Actually, you may want to reconsider that." Bo said calmly.

" Oh, why is that?" Odin stared at her.

Bo held up her right hand slowly and showed it to Odin. The vague scar of the runic letter left on her palm was almost invisible at night, but it was still there. Odin leaned close and studied it carefully. At first he couldn't believe it, but then he roared with anger and disappointment.

" That's right. I bonded with her. She is my Valkyrie now, and she will always be." Bo said. She heard a few loud gasps coming from the crowd. Most of the Valkyries looked shocked and surprised. They stayed shocked for a while, then they started to whisper to each other.

" Silence!" Odin yelled in great anger. The crowd went dead quiet again. Bo could see the rage burning in her father's eye, as if there was a roaring monster inside him, and he was about to unleash it. " Oh, you...you little fucking...you didn't... you didn't just bond with that weak piece of shit!"

" Sorry, I just did. So, your choice father. We both live, or we both die. What's it gonna be?" Bo said as calmly as she could, with her fists clenched and the cold sweat on her back. She raised her head a little and stared at Odin, hiding her fear deep inside her heart.

She felt her nails digging into her palm, and that stopped her from trembling.

Odin stood there. His chest heaved hard. Bo could feel his rage radiating from him, as if it was going to consume everything around him soon. Suddenly Odin growled loudly and drew his sword out. Before Bo could even react, she saw the sharp blade flying towards her. She closed her eyes, waiting for it to hit her, but it went passed by her face and hit a tree behind her. The tree broke into halves.

" Well played, my dear, well played! She lives! The fucking Valkyrie lives!" Odin said, gnashing his teeth. He waved his hand, and the sword just flew back to him like a magic trick. With his sword sheathed, he waved to the crowd, telling them to leave.

The crowd left as he commanded. Every one of them were either turning back to look at Bo, or murmuring something to someone else.

Odin was the last to leave. He shot a glare at Bo and said, " We will see each other again."

" Oh I'm sure we will." Bo retorted. She had finally let out the breath she was holding the moment she came out from the shrine. She pressed her back against the tree behind her and gasped hard. The cold sweat on her back had made her clothes wet, and she shivered as the night wind blew on her back.

_Breathe, breathe._ She told herself, _You did it, no one has to die now._

* * *

Tamsin opened her eyes. She blinked a few time to make sure she was not dreaming. She saw the familiar ceiling, and the floor lamp beside her bed. She was sure that she was in her own apartment, on her own bed, but she couldn't figure out how and when she had come back home.

" Hey." The soft voice of Bo made Tamsin turn her head around. She saw the succubus lying right next to her. Tears were still shining in the brunette's eyes, but a smile appeared on her face when she saw Tamsin wake up. She held Tamsin's hand and pressed it against her lips. For a moment, Tamsin thought she was dreaming.

" How did we...how did we get back here?" Tamsin frowned. She looked at the clock on the night stand. It was way passed her deadline, and she was still alive.

"Through the warp stations?" Bo said. She raised herself on her elbows, so she could be closer to the blonde. She gazed into the Valkyrie's blue eyes, her fingers caressing her face slowly.

Tamsin frowned again. She knew no way Odin could change his mind to let her live, not to mention to fight all those pursuers and to get to the warp station. Then suddenly she realized something. She shot a glare at Bo and said, " What the fuck did you do? You made a deal with Odin, didn't you? What did you promise him?"

" Nothing. He was forced to accept my terms." Bo said.

" Forced how?" Tamsin stared into Bo's eyes to make sure she was not kidding.

Bo took a deep breath. She put her right hand next to Tamsin's left hand, and showed both palms to the blonde. The vague marks were almost gone now, but they were still visible. " I bonded with you, Tamsin." Bo said.

" What?!" Tamsin was so shocked that she almost jumped up from the bed, " What the fuck do you mean by _bonded with me_?"

" Means we are bonded now." Bo said, " You should really see the look on my father's face when I told him that I had bonded with you... Totally worth it..."

" Fuck, shit, fuck!" Tamsin cursed. " Why would do you such a dumbass thing! Did you not understand what I told you about the Valkyrie's bond?!"

" I wouldn't have done that if I didn't understand. If you die, I die, right? So if my father kills you, he kills me too." Bo said.

" That's not the fucking point! Damn it, Bo!" Tamsin said, " Why would you even agree on doing this!"

" Because we were surrounded by Odin's army, and you only had a couple of hours left?" Bo said.

" I didn't ask you to! Why can't you just let me deal with it on myself?" Tamsin sat up on the bed, staring at Bo.

" Oh, you mean like how you came to my place in the middle of night without telling me shit about you were going to die three days later? You mean like how you decided not to bring me in to my father regardless to what he could have done to you? What the fuck were you thinking, Tamsin?!" Bo grabbed her shoulder and stared into her eyes. She paused there for a while, trying to catch her breath. She wanted to continue, but the feelings in her heart were to overwhelming right now, so she just pulled the blonde close and hugged her tight.

" How did you even know about all that?" Tamsin asked. She felt that her heart just skipped a beat, because the secrets she had been keeping from Bo were exposed.

" Acacia told me." Bo said, " Don't you dare blame her. You should have told me a long time ago yourself. Do you even realize how fucked up it was that I had to hear it from Acacia while you were unconscious and you only had hours to live?"

" You shouldn't have known about any of that! That's the whole fucking point!"

" Why? Because you didn't think I would care? Because you didn't trust me? Or because you just enjoy hurting me like this? 'Cause if you were, you did a damn good job. Your stupid decisions broke my heart, Tamsin." Bo said. She gently caressed Tamsin's face with her thumb. They stayed quiet for a while, then Bo asked, " Why didn't you tell me?"

" Because I knew you would dive right in! Look what you did now to yourself! You are bonded with me for the rest of your life! You fucking stupid, stubborn..." Tamsin couldn't finish her sentence. She wanted to push the succubus away, but she didn't. She eventually indulged herself in the brunette's embrace, with her hands fisting Bo's clothes. Her heart was filled with emotions she couldn't explain right now, maybe relief because she was not going to die, maybe happiness because she could be with Bo again, maybe sadness because Bo had to saved her like this, or maybe just anger because she pulled Bo in all these. She raised her head to look at the brunette, who was looking at her too. Tamsin sighed and closed her eyes. She leaned over and pressed her lips on Bo's. It was the only thing she could do right now. She just want to get close to the succubus, as close as she could.

Bo kissed her back. The blonde was quivering in her arms, so she broke the kiss after a few seconds and held her tight.

" You just shouldn't have...you shouldn't..." Tamsin murmured as she rested her head against Bo's chest. She just couldn't forgive herself that Bo had to bond with her to save her life.

Bo let out a deep breath. " With all the things you've done for me, you don't think at least I should return the favor once?" She whispered to the blonde, " I really care about you, Tamsin. I couldn't lose you like that, I just couldn't... What were you thinking? If I hadn't gone to Asgard with you, I would never have seen you ever again. How could you even think of doing that to me..."

Tamsin sighed. The strong heart beat of the succubus comforted her. First time in a very long time, death was not shadowing her anymore. Knowing that she could live, and stay with Bo, she felt relieved, so relieved that her tears were about to fall. As much as she hated herself of dragging Bo into all the mess, she was warmed by how much Bo cared for her.

" Hey, it's just a bond, not the end of the world. We'll deal with it, ok?" Bo said to Tamsin.

" Shit..." Tamsin cursed, " Now we are bonded for life..."

" I know, believe me." Bo said. She had never thought before that she'd have such a firm connection with anyone in the world, but strangely, she didn't hate it when it was with Tamsin. Somehow she even felt happy for it, because she knew the Valkyrie would always be with her from now on. " Hey, other than the fact that we've bonded, nothing changes right?"

" Nothing changes? Are you fucking kidding me? A lot of things will change... Considering how stupid you are and how often you throw yourself into troubles, I'll be lucky if I last a month..." Tamsin rolled her eyes.

" Well, stay close and make sure I stay safe then." Bo laid a kiss on Tamsin's forehead, " You need to rest. The injury on your waist is pretty deep."

" Then why don't you get the fuck out of my apartment so I can rest..."

" Oh nice try. I'm staying tonight, likey or not." Bo held her tighter, " Just in case you try to go on some suicide mission without me again."

" Where is Acacia?" Tamsin asked because Bo's comment reminded her that she had not seen the elder Valkyrie since she came home.

" The Dal. She should be safe there." Bo said, " Don't worry, ok? You need to rest."

Tamsin let out a deep breath and buried herself closer to Bo. She didn't want to admit it, but having Bo by her side like this, was the best thing she could ever hope for.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the readers/reviewers! Now that Tamsin and Bo were finally bonded! I have absolutely no idea how the bonding ritual works, so I just made all the stuff up. Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed the story so far!**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Tamsin woke up the next morning. For a moment she just lay there, thinking about what happened during the past few days. It all seemed like a long, vague dream now, but she knew everything was real. The brunette was lying beside her, sleeping.

Tamsin looked at her left palm. The runic mark was almost gone now, but she knew they were in fact bonded. The brunette bonded with her to save her life. That thought hurt her, as much as it warmed her.

Tamsin gently held Bo's right hand and pressed her palm against hers. She felt that the succubus squeezed her hand lightly in her dream. She just lay there with her fingers interlocked with Bo's for a while. A strange feeling occurred to Tamsin, like she could feel an invisible connection forming with the succubus. It was like a very feeble energy flow in the air, or the slightly vibration in her heart. She could feel the heart beats of the succubus on her finger tips with her own, as if they were somehow synchronizing.

A while later, Bo moaned vaguely and moved. She opened her eyes, looking at Tamsin like she had no idea what was going on.

Tamsin quickly pulled her hand back and turned away. She hopped off the bed and grabbed her cell phone to check voice mails and text messages.

Bo stared at Tamsin with her half conscious eyes. " Are you leaving me again?" She asked.

Tamsin rolled her eyes at her. She pulled her clothes out from her closet and said," I need to go back to work. We still have the Kitsune serial killer case to solve, remember?"

" Right..." Bo had not thought about the case at all, until right now. " Any progress?"

" According to the texts Dyson sent me when I was gone, nothing."

" Well, we'll figure it out." Bo sat up on the bed, looking at Tamsin.

Tamsin shrugged. She went into the shower. " Close the door behind you." Was the last thing she said to Bo before she closed the bathroom door.

Bo frowned. She sat on Tamsin's bed for a while, trying to figure out what she was going to do next. She wanted to hop in the shower with the blonde, or stay until she came out from it, but she knew it was going to be awkward if she did. Eventually she decided to go home and check on Kenzi.

* * *

Everything was ok at home. Kenzi was home working on some side cases she had taken while Bo was gone. Bo met a couple of clients with Kenzi after they grabbed some lunch. Then they did some investigations for some other clients in the afternoon.

After dinner they went to the Dal. After all the killing, fighting and bleeding, Bo felt that she desperately needed some drinks. Trick was happy to see that she had returned and talked with her for a while.

As it got late, people started to show up at the Dal. Trick had to go attend other costumers, leaving Bo and Kenzi at the bar drinking. Bo told Kenzi everything, except for the part where she and Tamsin had feelings for each other. She was still not sure what she was going to do with the Valkyrie yet. She was not sure if she should talk to her about it, or just pretend that she didn't know about the Valkyrie's feelings for her, or just ignore everything and go along with whatever happens next. As much as she wanted the Valkyrie, she didn't want to make things weird between them.

Bo sat there for hours, drinking with Kenzi and listening about her stories of some small cases she worked on while Bo was away. Then Bo saw Dyson and Tamsin walk into the Dal. It looked like they had just finished their shift and decided to come over for a drink. Bo's eyes immediately zeroed in on the blonde the moment she walked in.

Dyson smiled to her, but the blonde just turned around to avoid looking into her eyes. Bo watched her move to the pool table. She knew she shouldn't stare, but she just couldn't help it. She saw the blonde start to shoot the table with Dyson. They were talking about something, then they both laughed. For a second or two, Bo thought the blonde turned to her and met her eyes, but before she could be sure of it, the blonde turned away.

After watching the blonde for a while, Bo noticed that a strange feeling suddenly appeared in her heart, like she was craving for something badly, or she was in need of something desperately. It was very similar to her hunger, but it had something more to it. Bo couldn't tell what it was.

Then Bo notice that there was this strange energy flowing around in the air. She could just feel it with every inch of her skin. At first she thought it was the sexual energy she often felt when she was in a bar filled with people who wanted to get laid, but after a few seconds she realized that it was not just the sexual energy. Bo couldn't tell what it was, or where it came from, but suddenly it was everywhere.

Bo frowned. Most of her mind was still on the problems between her and Tamsin, until she realized that Kenzi had stopped talking for a while now. She raised her head and looked at Kenzi, thinking maybe the Russian girl was too busy drinking.

To her surprise, Kenzi was not drinking, nor was she talking. She just sat in front of Bo, with a strange smile on her face, as if she was in a daze.

She rested her chin on her hand, leaning to Bo's side. Her stare looked very weird. Bo stared at her for a few seconds, and it came to her that the look on Kenzi's face was very similar to the look on someone's face when they were charmed by her.

" Hey, Kenz!" Bo waved her hand in front of Kenzi's face, but the petite girl didn't respond, like she just didn't see it at all. Bo grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly, trying to wake her up, even though she didn't really know what had just happened. A series of giggle burst out from Kenzi's throat, like she was deadly drunk, or extremely doped.

Bo was a little bit scare, because she didn't know what was going on. She turned around, looking for Trick, but she didn't see him anywhere. Bo stood up and started to walk downstairs, but she stopped, because she found that everyone in the bar was staring at her. They all had the same look as Kenzi on their faces. No one was talking, or moving, or even drinking. They were just smiling at her, standing or sitting. Dozens of faces with the same blank smile were all facing her, like she was the sun and they were all sunflowers. When Bo moved, they all immediately moved to look at her. Bo paused and she was a little bit scared.

_What the hell is going on?_ Bo asked herself. For a moment she thought she was having a nightmare, because it felt like one. Then she turned to the Valkyrie. The Valkyrie was staring at her too, but she was the only one in the bar who didn't have that empty smile on her face. Instead, she looked shocked, as shocked as Bo was.

For a while they just stared at each other in there. Then Tamsin finally closed her mouth and decided to move. She rushed to Bo and dragged her out of the bar. On the way out, Bo saw all the faces turning to her at the exactly same time. It crept her out.

* * *

" What the fuck just happened in the Dal?" Bo asked Tamsin after they arrived at her apartment.

" Emm... I think it was you." Tamsin said, looking at Bo.

" What-how? I didn't do anything!" Bo said, " I mean, yeah, they all looked like they were charmed by me, but I didn't touch any of them! I didn't even look at them. Hell, I wasn't even thinking about charming anyone in there..."

Tamsin sighed. " It's the bond. You charm is probably enhanced somehow."

" So now I sit there, and my charm just flow out and bounce on everyone it hits?" Bo asked, " I didn't even feel my charm in there..." Then she paused for a while and frowned.

" What is it?" Tamsin asked her.

" When I was in there, I did feel something, like a stream of energy or something in the air..."

" But when I walked in, everyone seemed normal..." Tamsin frowned.

" Yeah...it kinda happened after you came in." Bo said. The she remembered the strange craving she had when she saw Tamsin in the Dal. Something occurred to her. " Maybe my hunger spiked when I saw you..." Bo said, and she blushed.

Tamsin turned away, because she didn't want Bo to see her blushing.

" Damn... this is...so this is how my ability becomes now?" Bo said. The feeling of craving for something came back to her again, and this time, much stronger. She knew it was not hunger, at least her hunger was only a small portion of it. She turned around and looked at the blonde, and suddenly she figured out what she was craving for.

Bo took a deep breath. She leaned over and kissed the blonde on her lips. It was the only thing on her mind ever since she saw the blonde tonight. She wanted to taste her soft lips. She wanted to feel her silky skin. She wanted to hold her tight and make love to her. And being this close to her, she couldn't hold it back anymore.

Tamsin almost instantly kissed her back. Suddenly she could feel the succubus' hunger, and her desires, as well as she could feel her own. Ever since she saw the succubus in the bar, she wanted to embrace her, to kiss her, and to caress her.

A few minutes later, Tamsin pulled back a little for air. She gaze into Bo's brown eyes, with her fingers stroking Bo's face gently. She could sense the energy flow between them, and she knew it was not just sexual, it was a lot more. " You are not...you are not really hungry..." She murmured to Bo, trying to stop them both from going any further.

" No I'm not... but I just..." Bo said. She leaned over and kissed her again, running her tongue on her lips. She knew it was not just her hunger. She just wanted the blonde so badly, that she didn't ever realize what she just said.

The Valkyrie let out a vague moan and lay down on the bed when Bo ran her hands up from her waist under her shirt. Bo moved her kiss down while moving her hands up. Her tongue slid across the blonde's neck line. Then she sucked her neck, as if she was going to devour her soon.

" What do you want from me..." Tamsin murmured. She felt herself burning up by the succubus' touch. The sex with Bo was always passionate and intense, but she had never been turned on crazily like this before. It scared her a little, and she was trying everything she could not to dwell in it.

" I don't know..." Bo said. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on Tamsin's chest. Even she herself had felt that there was something weird. She felt like she had not fed for ages, but she was not hungry. She didn't want Tamsin's Chi at all. She just wanted to make love to her. The urge exploded in her body, her veins, and her head, driving her crazy. " I don't know...I don't know..." She repeated unconsciously as she fondled the blonde's breasts through her bra.

Drowning in the kisses and the whispers, the Valkyrie closed her eyes. She gasped when Bo thumbed her nipples under her bra. Then she felt both her shirt and her bra were gone. The brunette stopped there for a second or two, enjoying the view of the blonde. Then she leaned over and started to suck her nipples. Tamsin couldn't contain her moans anymore. She was trembling from the pleasure she felt, the pleasure stronger than ever. She could feel every slight movement of Bo's on her body, how her tongue circled her nipples lightly, how she dragged her fingers across her stomach, how her nails slid through her inner thigh. She fisted the sheets when the brunette licked her core.

Seconds after Bo flickered her tongue on her clit, Tamsin orgasmed. She arched her back away from the bed, so hard that Bo had to hold her waist and pull her back down.

" Wow, I haven't really... done anything yet..." Bo was surprised about how fast Tamsin reached her peak. She looked at the blonde a little bit confused.

" It's the fucking bond..." Tamsin said while she was panting, " The closer we are, the stronger it affects us..."

" It affects us sexually too?" Bo was shocked. She thought the bond was only for the Fae power.

" Shit...I don't know! You're the fucking sex demon..." Tamsin said. She was still trembling from her orgasm.

Bo chuckled, holding the blonde by one arm. She slid her other hand down between her legs and brushed across her clit with her middle finger. The blonde almost immediately quivered with her movement. Bo thrust her fingers into the blonde, watching the blonde throwing her head back and arching away from the bed again. The pleasure was so overwhelming, that Tamsin couldn't make a sound. Every single muscle in her body was tensed up and ready for her climax. She pressed her forehead against Bo's shoulder hard, with her finger nails digging into Bo's skin on her back. She used every bit of strength she had left to rub that spot against Bo's finger tips. When her orgasm had finally come, she rolled her eyes back and almost blacked out.

" Well, do you like it?" Bo whispered to Tamsin's ear.

" ...I fucking...hate it..." The blonde said to Bo when she was gasping for air.

" Liar..." Bo whispered back. With her left hand holding Tamsin tightly, She thrust her fingers inside her again. The blonde almost instantly tightened around her fingers and came again.

Bo slowed down her fingers inside the blonde, letting her fall from her peak. She couldn't stop smiling when she watched the whole body of the blonde blushing. Tamsin was still trembling from the intense orgasms she just had. Bo could even hear her pounding heart. She lowered her head and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips.

Tamsin was totally bedazzled by her higher than ever orgasms she just had. She reached her right hand out, her fingers touching Bo's forehead. She slowly moved her index finger and her middle finger together along Bo's face, her eyes following. When her fingers reached Bo's soft, pink lips, Tamsin licked her own, as if she was kissing her. The look on her face sent a stream of arousal right through Bo's body. She felt the blonde's fingers moving along her jaw line, then her neck line. When her fingers had finally slid across her nipples, Bo gasped hard. She had to fist the sheets to stop herself from trembling, and that was just a light, simple touch of the blonde on her nipples. " Wow..." Was the only thing she said, because as the blonde's fingers moved down, she could hardly speak anymore.

Then she realized that the Valkyrie was feathering her core. She closed her eyes and moaned, with her body burning up by the touch. The blonde tucked her fingers inside Bo, and thumbed her clit at the same time. She let Bo ride on top of her, grinding her core against her palm. Bo screamed from the keen pleasure. It didn't take long for her to reach the peak, and the second wave of the orgasm hit her even before her brain fully processed the first one. She screamed again and her mind went blank. The only thing she could feel was the long, strong orgasm. She couldn't even tell if she was having one orgasm after another, or she was just having a really long, strong one. She crashed herself on top of the blonde, resting her head beside her ears. The blonde held her by her waist and her fingers just went on and on.

" Stop...Tamsin...stop...no more..." Eventually Bo couldn't take it anymore. She used every bit of strength she had to beg the Valkyrie to stop.

Tamsin chuckled and slowed down. She slid her fingers out from the brunette's body and kissed her gently.

When Bo had finally got her senses back, she looked at the Valkyrie underneath her. Digging her hands into the blonde's hair, she pulled herself down for a kiss. Neither of them said anything for a while. It was just a soft, sweet kiss.

Bo rolled herself down to lie beside Tamsin, but their lips never parted. They continued the kiss for a long time, with their hearts full of feelings they couldn't understand.

Eventually they stopped kissing and started to cuddle. Bo armed around Tamsin's waist and pulled her close. She let the blonde rest her head on her chest, as she always did.

" I think I like this bond thing...so far..." Bo murmured to the Valkyrie. She felt that they were closer than they ever were, not just physically, but emotionally too.

" I'm pretty sure those people in Dal will disagree." Tamsin said, " We need to do something about it. You can't just cast out an entire room whenever you are hungry."

" That was not just my hunger, believe me." Bo said.

" Then what was it?"

" It was..." Bo wanted to tell Tamsin how she felt for her, and how much she craved her, but then she immediately thought about her past relationships. She vividly recalled how she screwed up every single one of them, because of her nature as a succubus. She killed her first boyfriend by sucking him dry. Then she screwed up things with Dyson so badly that every time they saw each other, it was still pretty awkward. Then there was Ryan, which shouldn't really count as a relationship in the first place, but at least she was not the one who screwed it up. Then there was Lauren, who broke up with her because she couldn't deal with her succubus nature, and now they didn't even talk to each other or see each other anymore. She had absolutely no idea where she was either. And now she knew for a fact that Tamsin had feelings for her, which made the situation much more delicate. She just couldn't afford to lose her too. " Never mind, I guess it was probably just my hunger." Bo said.

" We need to figure something out."

" Ok. We'll talk to Acacia tomorrow." Bo said. Then she laid a kiss on Tamsin's forehead. " But now we need some sleep." She added.

" You are staying again?" Tamsin asked.

" You don't want me to?" Bo asked as she laid a kiss on Tamsin's hand.

" Whatever." The Valkyrie whispered, when she tucked herself closer to Bo's chest.

" We need to do something about this lying habit of yours too..." Bo said.

" I don't lie..." Tamsin murmured. She was already half asleep.

Bo smiled. She held the blonde tighter in her arms. She didn't know if it was the bond, or it was just something else between her and the blonde, but she just couldn't let go.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the sweet reviews! And thanks for all the supports!**

**Again, I have no idea how the actual Valkyrie bond is going to affect the ability of both, so I just made it like their existing abilities got enhanced. **


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Acacia was going through Trick's liquor collections behind the counter when Tamsin and Bo arrived at the Dal the next morning. No one else was in the bar because it was way too early for drinking.

" Emmm... I'm pretty sure my grandfather has some rules about no first shelf or something..." Bo said to Acacia as she watched her taking down bottles of alcohol from the top shelf and making herself some cocktails Bo had never seen before.

Acacia huffed out a laugh, staring at Bo with a bottle in her hand. " I think I can handle a blood king." She threw a bottle and a glass to Tamsin without even looking at the younger Valkyrie. Tamsin sat down and started to drink.

" So I take it you talked with my grandfather?" Bo asked as she sat down beside the blonde.

" Yeah, yeah, we've talked. He seemed concerned about the bond." Acacia took a swig from her cocktail she just made, " Relax, that _thing_ between you two, is strictly your business."

Tamsin choked on her drink when she heard Acacia's comment about her and Bo. Bo cleared her throat hard, and took a deep breath. " We...emmm...we have some questions for you."

" Shoot." Acacia offered Bo a drink. Bo took it from her hand and sat down next to Tamsin. The blonde was enjoying her drink without looking at anyone.

" How exactly is this bonding thing going to affect our ability?" Bo asked.

Acacia raised her eyebrows, staring at Bo. " Do I look like I know everything, bitch?" She asked.

" Well, how about you tell us everything you _do_ know about the bond then?" Bo asked. Surprisingly, Acacia's attitude felt so familiar, that Bo was totally used to it.

" Alright, since I'm clearly bored right now, and I have nothing better to do." Acacia put down the glass in her hand on the counter, " First thing I can tell you is, there is absolutely no handbooks or pamphlets titled in what-does-a-valkyries-bond-do, so everything I'm going to tell you is purely hearsay, rumors, maybe even legends."

Bo turned to Tamsin, as if she was asking the blonde whether Acacia was telling the truth. Tamsin nodded to her. " Ok, do continue then."

Acacia shook her head. " Well, what I've heard is the bond affects every pair differently, depends on what the real bond is between the pair."

" The real bond?" Bo asked. Then she heard Tamsin clearing her throat, as if the blonde was trying to stop her from asking.

" The real relationship between the pair, dumbass." Acacia said, " Remember it takes a falling Valkyrie to bond?"

" Oh." Bo suddenly felt the awkwardness in the air. She and Tamsin had not really talked about their feelings yet. She wasn't expecting that Acacia would say that out bluntly in front of them.

Acacia studied the looks on Bo and Tamsin's face. She rolled her eyes and said, " Anyway, for each pair the relationship is a little bit different. There are lovers, master and slave, friends, partners, some are even related by blood. So it's really hard to say how exactly the bond will affect your abilities. But, one thing for sure, the closer you are, the stronger the bond influences."

" You mean physically?"

" Both physically and emotionally. The emotions will eventually become the dominant part, so if the emotional connection is very strong, the physical distance won't matter that much anymore." Acacia said, " Then everyone has different abilities, and they are all enhanced in different ways. Some people say it is related to the personality and life experiences too."

" Complicated, huh?" Bo murmured.

" Yes, very complicated. " Acacia nodded.

" You think maybe there is a Valkyrie who has bonded with someone, so we can talk to her or something?"

" Good luck with that." Acacia raised the glass in her hand and then downed it. " I've never known anyone in person who has ever done the bonding, except you two dumbasses."

" No one?"

" Well, there are always some rumors about some Valkyrie bonded with some warrior thousands of years ago and blah blah blah all that shit." Acacia said, " But, I've never known anyone in person, nor have I ever known anyone who knew any of them in person. So... no first hand experience."

" Wow..." Bo murmured, "I thought there would be more bonded Valkyries out there, because a lot of people would be excited to have enhanced power, right?" Bo said.

" You would think so, but Valkyries don't fall for someone that easily in the first place." Acacia said, " Then you know once the bond is formed, one dies, the other dies too, which means not only are you risking your own life for the other person, also, the other person has to completely trust you with his or her life. You think it's easy to find someone like that? Even if you did find one, you would probably choose not to form the bond because you don't want to put him or her in danger whenever you are in danger." The elder Valkyrie paused for a long time. She just kept drinking without saying a word. Then she continued, " So, yeah, sounds great, but... well, let me put it this way. Only people as stupid as you two would do such a thing."

" Well, under the circumstance, I had to..." Bo said. She suddenly understood why Tamsin was so angry with her when she found out that they bonded, and why she kept telling her that she shouldn't have done it. The Valkyrie had already chosen Bo's life over her own, and she didn't want Bo to be in any danger. Bo sighed. She wanted to hug the blonde, but Acacia was staring at them, so instead she just held the blonde's hand in hers tightly. Tamsin was startled, but she didn't pull her hand away.

" So, I guess that something related to the bond happened, and that's why you two kids are asking me about it?" Acacia asked Bo.

" Well... I guess you could say that...I sort of...emmm...charmed an entire room of people here last night... "

" Not bad, succubus, not bad at all." Acacia looked at her. She looked impressed. " You said it like it was a bad thing."

" Yeah, because I don't even know how it happened. What if I just randomly charm people and I can't stop it?"

Acacia narrowed her eyes. She stared at Bo for a while, then she said, " You mean you didn't intentionally do that?"

" No! I was just sitting here, drinking. Then I felt this energy stream in the air. The next thing I knew everyone was charmed."

Acacia went quiet for a while. She was thinking about something. Then she said, " I am not an expert of the bond thing, but my guess is that you are probably still adjusting to the bond, because it has just been formed, and your ability is still fluctuating. You might want to try to control it."

" How? I didn't even know how it happened." Bo said.

" How do you control your succubus power? Like how much charm you send, how much Chi you take, and stuff like that."

" Oh..." Bo murmured. Then she went quiet.

" It's the same thing. You control how the energy flows, how much it radiates from you, and how much you take it from other people. Your power is solely about the energy." Acacia said, " I'm not a succubus trainer, I can't tell you how to do it, kid. You need to figure it out yourself. It's the price to pay for the enhanced power."

" Ok..." Bo rolled her eyes, " Then how does the bond affect Tamsin?"

" How the hell do I know? Explore, experiment, figure it out!" Acacia said, " Now if you two will excuse me, I have some personal business to take care of."

The elder Valkyrie stood up and left the bar. She also left some half empty bottles on the counter.

" Geez, what is it with you Valkyries and the alcohol?" Bo asked Tamsin.

" Because it's great? It helps you to forget stuff." Tamsin raised her eyebrows, " Plus it warms you up at night."

Bo sighed. She held Tamsin in her arms since they were the only two people in the Dal. " Hey, you have me now." She said.

" That's another fucking reason I need it." Tamsin frowned. She would never admit to Bo that how much she enjoyed being held in the succubus' arms.

Bo stared at the blonde. She inched forward, slowly pressing her lips on hers. Right before their lips met, she heard someone walking through the door.

They immediately broke off. Tamsin turned away so fast that she almost dropped her glass on the floor. Bo stood up and turned around. " Dyson!" She smiled to the wolf who just walked in, hoping that he wouldn't have noticed anything.

" Drinking so early?" Dyson frowned at Tamsin. Tamsin just shot a glare at him without saying anything.

" Yeah, we were...emmm...talking...about something." Bo almost bit her tongue.

" Ok..." Dyson nodded hard. He looked at the two girls, then he shook his head, as if he didn't want to get involved in whatever it was between them. " Anyway, I was looking for you guys everywhere. And why hasn't either one of you answered your phones?"

Bo reached into her pocket. Then she realized that she left her phone at Tamsin's place.

" Bad reception?" Tamsin smirked at Dyson, " What is it you want, wolfboy?"

" The Kitsune killer's case." Dyson waved the file folder in his hand.

" Something popped up?" Bo asked as she sat down.

" Well, when you two were gone for Tamsin's...personal business, we've managed to ID the other two victims. Both of them were Kitsunes, and they were both from that prophet family. We've interviewed all the witnesses, friends, family members. Yesterday I found a lead. Two different victim's friend or family member mentioned that a blonde visited the victims a week or so before they disappeared."

" Wait a minute..." Bo said. Something occurred to her, " Hailey, the one that Mei asked me to find, her roommate mentioned a blonde who visited Hailey a week before she disappeared... I wonder if it's the same blonde..."

" You tell me." Dyson said. He took out a few pages from the folder and showed them to Bo and Tamsin. " I called in a favor from a sketch artist. He did a few pictures from the different descriptions I gathered from the witnesses. And here are the results."

Bo took a glance at the pictures, and she was too shock to continue. Tamsin looked through every one of them, but she was as shock as Bo. " Shit!" She cursed.

" That's Lauren!" Bo said after a long pause. " Lauren was the blonde who visited them?"

" I'm afraid so." Dyson said, " Three eye witnesses related to different victims gave the descriptions of her."

" Why would Lauren visit them?" Bo frowned, " I mean, the more important question is, Why would she come out to get involved in this high profile case after she convinced everyone that she died in the raid?"

" Her visits were before the disappearance of the victims. Maybe she was not involved in it at all." Dyson said.

" No, it can't be a coincidence. There is no way she visited more than one of the victims but not involved." Bo said, " Maybe she's looking for the killer too, just like us."

" But how could she have known who was going to disappear?" Dyson said. He paused for a while, as if he was not sure what to say next. " You don't think Lauren did this, do you?" He asked Bo hesitantly.

Bo opened her eyes wide. Before she said anything, Tamsin rolled her eyes at Dyson and said, " The doc? Torture? Come on, Dyson."

" Yeah, you know her, Dyson. She would never torture people like that."

" I'm not saying that she did this. It's just...what's she up to? Has she contacted you lately?" Dyson said.

" No. I have no idea where she is or what she's doing." Bo said.

Dyson nodded. He sat there, thinking.

" Who else knows about this?" Tamsin asked Dyson.

" Just me. The sketch artist doesn't know Lauren, neither did any of the eyewitnesses." Dyson said, " No one can know about this, because everyone else thinks that she's dead."

" Well, it better stay that way then." Tamsin said as she downed a drink.

" Speaking of which, what about the other members of the Kitsune family? I thought Mei said the killer was targeting them." Bo asked.

" The situation is delicate right now." Dyson sighed, " We offered protective custody for potential victims, but the Kitsunes don't want anyone to know who are the members of that family, so there is nothing we can do right now. However, they agreed to contact us immediately if anyone else goes missing."

" No other victims right?"

" So far, only those four." Dyson said, " The killer is probably spooked. He's either laying low somewhere right now. Or...worse, he could have already gotten the information he needed."

" Then how the hell are we going to catch him? We are not going to close this case until we catch him, right?" Bo frowned.

" Yeah, we'll catch him. We'll have to go through the crime scenes, the case files, and everything else we have right now, hopefully we can find some more clues." Dyson said, " I'm gonna go to the coroner's office right now. You two want to come with me?"

" Of course." Bo said, " We haven't really examined the body when we found them. I'd like to take a closer look."

" Whatever." Tamsin rolled her eyes, but she put down the glass and stood up, getting ready to go.

" I guess I'll drive." Dyson said as he glanced at the bottles on the counter.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The coroner was cutting a body open when they arrived at the morgue. He took off his bloody helmet and greeted them, with the bone saw waving in his hand.

Dyson went to do some paperwork with him. Bo and Tamsin looked at the two bodies on the table, together with the undigested parts of the other two victims found inside the Maticores. Even the strong smell of disinfectant in the air couldn't cover the disgusting smell of the remains. Bo suddenly didn't know if she should breathe or not. She noticed that the coroner had a half eaten sub on his table, which made her feel even worse.

She looked at the Valkyrie standing beside her, who crossed her arms in front of her chest. The blonde was standing a few feet away from the bodies, as if she couldn't stand the smell either.

Bo looked at the bodies. She couldn't tell anything from the partially digested ones, but the torture marks on Hailey and Amy left by the killer became even more visible now. The dark strangulation marks on their necks provided a sharp contrast on their pale skin.

" They were tortured for hours, possibly days, before the killer strangled them." The coroner told Bo while he was signing on some documents Dyson handed him. " Their fingers were all broken. My guess is they were broken one after another."

" Classic interrogation technique." Tamsin said.

" What information is this killer looking for?" Bo murmured, frowning.

" No idea..." Tamsin said. Then she titled her head and frowned, as if she just heard something. She shook her head lightly, then she frowned more.

" What's wrong?" Bo asked.

Tamsin didn't answer her. She was biting her lips, as if something very weird had just occurred to her.

Bo stared at her, waiting for an answer.

" It smells...like...bitter almonds?" Tamsin murmured. Her eyebrows furrowed hard.

" What?" Bo asked. She sniffed in the air but she didn't smell anything other than the disinfectant and the dead bodies." Are you tipsy? How many drinks have you had?"

" No, I am not." Tamsin said, " It's weird...there's something appearing in my mind...like I am thinking about something, but it was not me."

" You mean someone is trying to control your mind that kinda thing?" Bo reached her hand out for her dagger.

" No. Shit, I don't fucking know. It feels like...I can hear a voice whispering in my head. It says, it smells like bitter almonds."

" What smells like bitter almonds?" Bo raised her voice a little. The coroner heard her and turned around. " Ah, it must be the smell from one of the dead bodies from another case." He said.

" I didn't smell anything, and what dead body?" Tamsin asked.

" Here." The coroner walked to Tamsin, pulling out a body next to her. " This morning, we had a suicide victim who took some cyanide. You smelled that, didn't you?"

" No." Tamsin leaned close to the body. Now she could smell the cyanide from the body, and she noticed that the voice in her head just got stronger. She frowned and straightened herself up. She paused there for a while, then she walked away from the body. As she walked a few feet away from it, the voice in her head disappeared.

Bo watched the Valkyrie walking towards another body on the other side of the room. It looked like a body pulled out from a fire. It was all burnt. Tamsin leaned close to it. Then she closed her eyes and clenched her lips, as if she had just heard something very unpleasant.

" Holy shit!" Tamsin cursed. Both Dyson and Bo looked at her confused. " I think I am hearing the thoughts, or feelings, or whatever the hell it is, from these dead bodies..."

Bo opened her eyes wide, and so did Dyson. They both stared at Tamsin, like she just said something ridiculous.

" Seriously." Tamsin said. She pointed at the burnt body and continued, " This one screams hot, pain, and help. And when I walk away..." She backed a few steps, " The voice just gets lower and lower...and...gone."

" Wow, I've never heard of any Valkyrie who could do that, but ok..." Dyson said, " I never knew you could do that."

" I never knew I could do that either." Tamsin said.

" Well, can you hear anything from our victims?" Dyson asked.

Tamsin walked to the table and bent over beside it. As she leaning towards Hailey and Amy's bodies, she shivered, like she was really cold. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. " Very vague voices, I can hardly hear it...This one, Amy, she kept repeating something like cylindrical Duchess, or Goddess... "

" What does that mean?" Bo asked.

" No idea." Dyson shook his head, but he wrote it down on his notebook anyway. " What about the other three?"

" Nothing..." Tamsin straightened herself up, " I can't hear anything from them."

" Ok. Well, better than nothing, I guess." Dyson said, " I'm done here. I guess I'll drop you two off at the Dal?"

" Yeah, sure." Bo nodded.

* * *

After Dyson dropped them off at the Dal, he left. Bo went to Tamsin's apartment with the Valkyrie to get her cell phone. The Valkyrie walked right to the kitchen and got herself a bottle of vodka after she closed the door. She sat down on the couch and started to drink slowly.

Bo frowned. Being with the Valkyrie this long, she started to realize that whenever Tamsin had something heavy on her mind, she drank. Bo watched Tamsin for a while, then went to sit down beside her. To her surprise, she felt the Valkyrie shivering beside her.

" Are you ok?" Bo asked, frowning. She grabbed Tamsin's hands and cupped them in her own. When she touched the Valkyrie's icy cold fingers, she shivered too." Oh my God, you're freezing!" Bo exclaimed. She quickly took off her jacket. Then she peeled off Tamsin's jacket and held the Valkyrie in her arms tight. She lay back on the couch, letting the blonde rest on top of her. She dragged the throw over and covered them both. She could feel the blonde shivering and could see that her forehead was furrowed in a frown. The brunette had to send out some of her charms gently, in order to calm Tamsin down.

" It's probably from being able to hear the thoughts of the dead." Tamsin said, " When I got close to them, the voices in my head...it was like someone was thrusting needles into my brain... and the feeling of death around them... chilled me to my spine... "

" Shhh... It's ok..." Bo pressed the blonde's head against her shoulder, and caressed her back. She laid a kiss on her forehead, and watched her melting into her arms.

Tamsin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The vague scent of the succubus' perfume surrounded her, as well as her warmth and her soft touch. It felt so good, that she didn't want to pull away. She felt herself warming up in Bo's embrace, and the cold feelings she had in the morgue were slowly fading away.

" So this reading dead people thing...you think it's related to the bond?" Bo whispered to her, trying to pull her out from the feeling of death she just had in the morgue.

" It's got to be the bond..." Tamsin said, " My abilities are related to the death, so I guess it is enhanced by the bond too."

" Well, it's pretty bad ass..." Bo said as she held the blonde's hands in hers. The Valkyrie's fingers were not yet warm, but they were not freezing anymore." See, I work better than the alcohol, don't I?" Bo teased the Valkyrie.

Tamsin didn't say anything and she turned away, not facing Bo. She almost felt uncomfortable being this intimate with Bo, but at the same time, she let herself indulge in Bo's warm embrace and gentle touch.

Bo sighed. She caressed the blonde's face gently, before she inched forward and kissed her on the lips. She could feel that the blonde was yearning for her, as much as she was craving for the blonde.

Bo kissed the Valkyrie hard, with her tongue touching hers. She tucked her hands under the blonde's shirt, and felt her skin warm again. Just as she was moving her hand up along Tamsin's back, Tamsin's phone rang. The loud noise startled them both.

Like suddenly gaining her consciousness back, Tamsin hopped off the couch and went to get her phone from the side table.

" It's Dyson. He said that he did some digging about the cylindrical Duchess or Goddess thing, nothing came up." Tamsin said, trying to ignore the sudden awkwardness forming in the air.

Bo nodded. She cursed Dyson in her heart, because the wolf had just broken the moment between Tamsin and her. The Valkyrie came back to sit down on the couch, and she started to drink again.

" So, why do you think Lauren visited those victims?" Bo asked, because she knew she had to say something.

Tamsin let out a deep breath." I think she visited them because of you." She said.

" Me? Why? You mean she knew I was on the case? But when she visited them, there was no case."

" No, it's not about the case. I think whatever those fox bitches knew, or whatever the killer was after, has something to do with you." Tamsin said. She poured herself a drink but she didn't drink it. She just sat there for a while, then continued, " When we were in the morgue, I did hear Hailey's voice too."

" But you said you only heard Amy's."

" Yeah, I don't think anyone besides you and me should know about it, not until we figure out what is going on." Tamsin said.

" What did she say? She said something about me?"

" She said: the identical, the bonded, the lurking, the lifeless, the..." Tamsin said, " That's all I heard. It sounded like she was trying to continue, but she didn't. I think it might be the last thing on her mind, or the last thing she said, before she died, because from what I've heard from the other bodies, it all sounded like something they said or thought about right before they died..."

" Well... I don't know about all those, but the bonded..." Bo said, " You think Hailey was talking about us?"

" Well, if it was just that, I wouldn't be so sure." Tamsin said, " But that and your doctor visited the victims, it has to be something related to you."

" Why?"

" Why do you think Lauren came out from hiding, after she faked her own death? It's got to be something, or someone, so important that she was willing to risk being seen." Tamsin finally downed the drink in her hand and continued, " You are the only person who is that important to her."

" I'm not so sure about that." Bo said. She hesitated for a few seconds, then added, " I mean... I broke her heart... and she left me."

" Whatever." Tamsin rolled her eyes. Then she continued, " She still loves you."

" Ok, let's say you are right. How could I be possibly connected to this?"

" How the hell should I know? But this is the only reasonable explanation right now. Remember Taft was doing research on the strongest Fae, and he wanted to become this Fae? Then think about what Odin told you, that you had to be stronger? Don't you see any connections there?" Tamsin said, " I think Lauren may have found something in Taft's research, and whatever it is, it leads to the Kitsune prophets, and you, and she is trying to figure it out so she can help you."

" Then why didn't she tell me about it?" Bo was confused.

" Probably she will, after she figures out what it is." Tamsin said.

" Well, fuck me..." Bo leaned back to press her back against the couch and sighed. She paused for a while, then added, " I hope she's ok. "

" I'm sure she's fine." Tamsin said as she tapped Bo's shoulder lightly.

" So we just keep this between you and me for now? Keep it from Dyson?"

" If you want to tell the wolf, be my guest." Tamsin shrugged, " Don't forget he sacrificed himself for your dawning, thinking he would not be coming back."

" Yeah, you are right. If it's something bad, I don't want him to do that for me again." Bo said. She paused for a while, then continued, " Why is everyone throwing themselves into danger for me?"

" Because...when they are too stupid and they get too close to you, they get burnt by..." Tamsin stopped before she finished her sentence. She looked down at her shot glass and downed another drink.

" By what?" Bo stared at the Valkyrie.

" You...and your fucking stupid succubus charm..." Tamsin took a deep breath and turned around to look at Bo in her eyes. She could feel the succubus' hunger rising, swirling in the air. Then her eyes fell on the brunette's lips. " And your sweet, sweet..." She muffled her last words by pressing her lips on Bo's. With the amount of alcohol she just had, she had finally lost control over herself, and her desire for kissing the brunette.

Tasting the vodka on the blonde's lips, feeling the slight quiver from the blonde's body, Bo couldn't help but to hold her tight and kiss her back. Tamsin moaned vaguely and kissed Bo hard. Her tongue met Bo's, exploring every inch of Bo's mouth.

" Do you really have to drink this much every time before you express your feelings me?" Bo murmured to the Valkyrie during the kiss. Every time the blonde had too much to drink, she became this vulnerable, truth telling person, who made Bo's heart ache.

" Alcohol is a good thing...for many reasons..." Tamsin said as she ran her tongue on Bo's lips. There were actually more than one thousand reasons why she got burnt by Bo, but right now, the sweet, soft lips were the only thing on her mind. The succubus kissed her back passionately, but to her surprise, she didn't feed off her.

" I thought...I felt...that...you are hungry..." Tamsin murmured.

" Is that why you kissed me?"

" Maybe..." Tamsin pulled herself back a little, caressing Bo's face with her hands. She couldn't stare straight at Bo's eyes, because the succubus would find out how strong she felt for her if she did.

" Or maybe not..." Bo leaned over and pressed her lips on Tamsin's. She was actually hungry, but she didn't want to turn this sweet kiss into a feed, at least not yet. The kiss was so sweet, that she felt her blood boiling for it, her head exploding for it. Eventually Bo lost her senses and started to draw some Chi from Tamsin.

The energy flew fiercely to her. Bo had to pull herself back to stop herself from suffocating. " Wow, what was that?" She exclaimed, staring at the blonde with her eyes wide open. She was panting from the kiss they just had.

" What was what?" Tamsin looked at her. Part of her was still dwelling in the kiss.

" Your Chi. I mean, it was always stronger than the others... but it was never this strong..." Bo said.

" Well, I guess it's another benefit of the bond. Both of us are enhanced by it, so my Chi becomes stronger, and you utilize the Chi better than before too."

" I guess you are right..." Bo leaned over and continued the kiss. When she topped the blonde, a loud knock on the door startled them both.

" Oh, what now!" Bo complained in frustration. She had no choice but to stop the kiss. She watched the blonde walk to the door and open it.

They were both shocked to see Svafa standing outside Tamsin's apartment. Bo pulled her dagger out and prepared to fight, and so did Tamsin.

" Relax." Svafa said, in an aloof tone, " I'm just a messenger today."

" More crap from Odin, huh?" Tamsin said as she stared at Svafa.

" Actually, no." Svafa said. She tucked her right hand under her jacket and reached to her chest. Both Bo and Tamsin pulled their weapon back, ready for a fight. Svafa slowly pulled her hand out, and she was holding an envelope. " It's for you." She said to Tamsin, " From the sisterhood, well, hopefully you still know what that word means."

Tamsin took the envelope in her hand, but she didn't open it. She just stood there, staring at it.

" Well, my job is done here. See ya bitches." Svafa said as she walked away.

After making sure Svafa was not coming back, Bo sheathed her blade. " What is it?" She asked Tamsin.

After she bit her bottom lip for a while, Tamsin said, " It's...emmm...it's my Valkyrie Rebirth Trial Invitation."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I love to read them!**

**TamTam can read dead people's thoughts now, hope you all like that :)**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

" Rebirth Trial? What is that?" Bo frowned as she closed the door. She asked because Tamsin had this dead serious look on her face. She could tell whatever it was, it was something very important to her.

" It's...emmm..." Tamsin hesitated, like she couldn't find the right words to it. She paused for a while, then continued, " I'm at the end of my life cycle."

" Oh." Bo said. Suddenly something heavy sat on her chest like a rock. With all the things that had happened in the past few weeks, she had totally forgotten about this end of life cycle thing. Now that Tamsin had brought it up, she immediately recalled that when the blonde got shot, the two Kitsunes told her that Tamsin was at the end of her life cycle. " So...you are..." Bo murmured. The word _dying_ seemed to be stuck in her throat, choking her.

Tamsin frowned. Then she realized why Bo looked so upset. " I'm not dying." She said, " Well, you could say I am, but I'm going to be reborn. It's the Valkyrie's life cycle. We get a rebirth after we have expired. It's not like the normal death you imagine."

" Oh." Bo sighed with a relief. She didn't realize that she was clenching her fists tightly until now. " So this is the invitation to your rebirth... What is the _trial _though?"

" Well, the most important part of the entire rebirth ritual is the trial. It's like...like a test, if you pass, you are qualified. If you fail, you have no choice but to expire and die forever."

" If you need to cram or something, I'll stay up with you." Bo said.

" No, not that kind of test." Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo, giving her a you-dont-know-shit look. " It's more like the Dawning, only more brutal."

" I thought you said the Dawning was the most brutal thing I would ever experience."

" Yeah, for you." Tamsin finally decided to sit down on the couch and put down the envelope in her hand on the coffee table. She poured herself a drink, and continued, " For a Valkyrie, the rebirth trials are the most brutal things. For Dawning, it's once in a life time, but in order to be reborn successfully, a Valkyrie needs to go through the rebirth trials again and again."

" I offer myself as your hand." Bo said to Tamsin, in a teasing tone.

Tamsin frowned, staring at her. " It's not how it works."

" Ok, ok, but I still want to help." Bo said.

" Either way, you are definitely coming with me, succubus." Tamsin smirked at Bo.

" Wow, I thought you would never ask..." Bo was a little bit surprised, because Tamsin never asked her for help before.

Tamsin sighed and downed her drink. " I'm not asking for your help. It's more like you have to come with me, because we are bonded."

" Oh, ok. No problem." Bo said, " Care to tell me more about this trial? You know that I'm a baby Fae."

" Well, there are multiple trials out there, each has a different task to complete. This invitation-" Tamsin said as she laid her eyes on the envelope, " tells me I'm ready to select my trial."

" What are you gonna select then?"

" I don't know. It's a random drawing ritual, you don't know what you are gonna get." Tamsin said.

" You are really worried about this thing, aren't you?" Bo said as she studied the look on Tamsin's face. The blonde looked not only serious, but also concerned. " You have done this before, right?"

" Countless times." Tamsin said. She paused for a while, then continued, " Last time the name of my trial was When a City Falls. I had to save a besieged city by myself. The time before last, To Kill a Dragon, well the name itself pretty much explained the task..."

" Wow, are there any easy trials?"

" I've had a couple of very easy ones, but also a few very hard ones. Over ninety percent of the trials are hard but doable. I did hear about a few impossible ones though... "

" How brutal is it gonna be? Do you need to kill someone to get out, like my Dawning?"

" No. It's a whole different level of brutal." Tamsin said," Because we must complete the trial without our Fae powers."

" What?" Bo was shocked, " You mean, like we can't use our powers?"

" More like, we won't be able to use them. Once we are projected onto the trial ground, the only thing that distinguishes us from ordinary humans is that we are physically stronger than them, and we have higher resistance to everything. I can't intimidate people, or read dead thoughts, and you can't charm or heal. Well, you can still heal, but like humans."

" So we fight like humans." Bo said, " Wow, that's new..." For a moment she was not sure if she should be scared, or excited. " When are you going to select the trial?"

" According to the invitation..." Tamsin took a glance at the invitation inside, " Tomorrow, and yes, you are coming with me."

" I'm happy to be your plus one." Bo said as she smiled at the blonde.

Tamsin rolled her eyes and poured herself a drink. " Why are you still here?" She said, " I thought you just came over for your cell phone."

Bo didn't answer her question. She stared at the drink in Tamsin's hand, then moved to the blonde's face. " You know, if you still feel cold, there is definitely something we could do..." She said as she took the glass away from the blonde's hands.

Tamsin stiffened. The next thing she knew was Bo's soft lips on hers. The succubus inhaled hard right before their lips met. A vague moan escaped from Tamsin's throat. She could do nothing but kiss Bo back. It was the only thing on her mind ever since they had kissed today, and she wanted Bo to go away because she was too scared by how much she was craving it, but now, tasting the sweetness on Bo's lips, with her hands slowly caressing her waist, Tamsin drowned in it before she could pull herself away.

Bo pulled herself closer to the blonde, but the blonde moved back, so she held the blonde by her waist and leaned forward. Eventually she topped the Valkyrie on the couch, with her fingers stroking the back of Tamin's waist playfully, and her lips savoring Tamsin's.

Tamsin had her hands lightly pressed on Bo's chest. She wasn't sure if she should push her away, or just pull her closer. After kissing for a while, Bo pulled back a little, staring at Tamsin's blue eyes. She held Tamsin's left hand and took a glance at her palm. The mark left from the bonding ritual was completely gone now, so was the one on her right palm. Bo pressed her right palm against Tamsin's left palm and held it tightly by interlocking her fingers with Tamsin's. It brought the memories back to her, the memories of the night when they bonded, the memories of Acacia telling her about the things Tamsin had done for her that she never knew about. They warmed her. They warmed her so much that they made her heart ache. Bo took a deep breath, leaning over and resting her forehead on Tamsin's. With her eyes closed, she murmured, " My Valkyrie..."

Tamsin closed her eyes too, because she didn't know what else she could do. This was too intimate for her to handle, but she couldn't pull herself away, not now, not when Bo's hand was holding hers so tightly, not when Bo's lips were only an inch away.

Bo lowered her head a little and pressed her lips on the blonde's again, this time, much harder. She could hear herself screaming for the blonde inside, like someone who had walked in the desert for days screaming for water. She pulled off her shirt and her pants quickly before she straddled the blonde. Then her eyes fell on the black bra, which contrasted the blonde's fair skin color sharply together with her black thong. Bo couldn't help but stare, until she realized that the blonde had blushed and turned away.

Bo chuckled, taking the bra off the blonde. She chuckled more when she saw the already erect nipples of the blonde. Taking them into her mouth, she sucked them lightly, with her tongue circling around them. The blonde moaned loudly, and she trembled each time when Bo's tongue slid across them. Reaching her left hand down, Bo tucked her fingers into Tamsin's underwear. The blonde was already soaking wet. Bo plunged her fingers in as she watched the blonde arching away from the couch. She lowered her head and started to suck her nipples again. The blonde let out a loud scream, before she lost her voice and completely drowned in the pleasure. She gasped hard with her eyes closed, gripping Bo's fingers tightly with her left hand. Her right hand reached to Bo's back, pulling herself closer to the succubus. She pressed her forehead against Bo's shoulder as hard as she could, when her orgasm hit her. Ecstasy exploded inside her, all she could feel was Bo's finger tips rubbing against her sweet spot.

She fell from her peak slowly, with Bo's soft kisses and touches all over her body. Bo's right hand and her left hand never parted.

" We...emmm...we could use the bed...this couch is..." Tamsin murmured as she tried to catch her breath.

" Sure..." Bo said. She sat up, with her lips on the blonde's. They moved to Tamsin's bedroom, with their hands running on the other person's body hungrily. Bo pinned Tamsin on the bedroom door. She nibbled the blonde's neck before she kneeled down on the floor.

Tamsin gasped loudly when the brunette's tongue ran across her core. She was more sensitive than ever because she just had an intense orgasm. As the brunette started to suck her clit, she threw her head back to the door and banged it. Bo stopped for a few seconds to chuckle, then went back to what she had been doing. With her legs shaking so hard, Tamsin could hardly hold herself up. She curled her toes and screamed when she climaxed, with her fingers digging into Bo's hair.

Bo stood up, cupping Tamsin's face, giving her a deep kiss. Then they finally moved to the bed. Bo felt that she had this compulsive urge to make love to the blonde, and it was totally not related to her hunger. She just wanted to hold her tight in her arms and let her orgasm again and again. Sitting on the blonde's lap, Bo grabbed her by her waist. The blonde was facing her, with her eyes half closed, drowning in the pleasure she just had. She leaned close for a kiss, with her fingers sliding down along Bo's body slowly and stopping between Bo's legs. Bo moaned when the finger tip of the blonde's brushed across her clit. As the blonde caressed her clit, Bo moaned, digging her finger nails to the blonde's back. It didn't take long for her to reach her peak, then she was thrown off the edge again. The blonde lowered her head to suck her nipples while she was fingering her. Bo almost lost her grip on the blonde and fell on the bed, but the blonde held her waist tight. She gave her a few hard, deep thrusts and then Bo hit her peak higher than she had before. A loud scream escaped from her throat as her whole body went rigid and she tightened around the blonde's fingers.

They both fell on the bed, gasping for air. Then Bo turned around to face the blonde. She held her left hand in her right hand again. Pulling herself closer, she gently laid a kiss on the blonde's lips. " My Valkyrie..." She murmured as she looked into the eyes of her lover.

Tamsin didn't say anything. She just closed her eyes and buried herself closer to the brunette. She liked the idea that she had become Bo's Valkyrie, because nothing, nor no one, could ever separate them. She felt a light kiss on her forehead and then Bo's hair fell on her face, tickling her.

" Want to take a nap with me?" Bo whispered as she caressed Tamsin's hair.

Tamsin let out a deep breath and held her tighter.

" I'll take that as a yes then." Bo chuckled in a low voice. Pulling the blanket over, she covered both of them in it. She never thought having the Valkyrie bonded with her like this would make her this happy. Now she knew that the blonde would never leave her anymore, because she was her Valkyrie and she would always be.

The Valkyrie let out a vague moan, and that was the last thing Bo heard before she fell asleep.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The loud phone ringing woke up Bo. She sat up and grabbed her phone, before it woke up the blonde. Tamsin was lying in her arms, nesting herself on her chest. A smile appeared on Bo's face, she lowered her head and laid a kiss on the blonde's forehead.

" Kenz, what up?" Bo took the call.

" You've got to come home, Bo-Bo!"

" Why? What's wrong?" Bo frowned as she heard the loud music in the background from the other side of the phone, " Why is the music so loud? Are you having a party?"

" No! Hell no!" Kenzi yelled, " Two Kitsune bitches showed up! They are drinking our liquor, and dancing everywhere!"

" Wow, wait, slow down. Who showed up?"

" Two Kitsune bitches! Have you not been listening to what I just said?"

" Did they say who they are and what they want?"

" Their names are Casey and something, and they said they needed your help. From what I can see... I think by help they meant our liquor!"

" Ok, just go to your room and close the door. I'll be right there."

" Fine, but I'm telling ya, Kenzi does not get along well with foxes. Just so we're clear about this, Kenzi does not like them."

" I know. I know. Just ignore them for now, ok?" Bo said. She hung up the phone, then turned around to look at the blonde. The blonde was staring at her with her sleepy eyes.

Bo leaned over and put Tamsin's blonde hair behind her ear, her finger sliding across Tamsin's cheek, " I think Casey and Amanda are at my place right now. I need to go." She said.

" Well, good luck with that." Tamsin smirked.

" Can you...emmm...I mean, are you coming with me?"

" Why?"

" Well, you said I like to throw myself into trouble. I thought you might want to keep an eye on me or something." Bo said, " Besides...if you want to tell me more about the trial thing, I'm more than happy to hear it."

" Ahh..." Tamsin growled as she sat up. She didn't want to admit it but she didn't want Bo to leave. The succubus's warmth worked like her charms on her, and she was already addicted to it. " Shit...Fine."

* * *

Casey and Amanda had already trashed Bo's place by the time Bo and Tamsin got there. They were both passed out on the couch, with the music still on. One of them had her head on the floor, while the other was kneeling by the side of the couch with her head under a pillow on the couch. Bo couldn't tell if they were totally wasted, or exhausted, or both.

Bo sighed and turned off the music. She tried to wake them up, but she couldn't. Amanda was just deadly unconscious, while Casey giggled at her, trying to kiss her. Bo cursed and pushed her away. A few seconds later, she dropped unconscious too.

" Aren't you popular." Tamsin said to her as she watched the whole thing.

" Any idea how to wake these bitches up?"

" Emmm...time?" Tamsin tilted her head and said, " Give them a couple of hours. They are going to wake up. They do this shit like every day."

" Sounds like you know them well."

" What can I say? I used to crash at their place a lot." Tamsin shrugged. Then she took a bottle of whiskey from Bo's kitchen and sat down beside the dining table.

" Seriously? You are going to sit there and drink, instead of helping me with this fucking mess?" Bo rolled her eyes at the Valkyrie, while she was pointing at all the take out boxes and empty bottles on the floor all over her place.

" Well, I better drink all your liquor, before they do." Tamsin smirked at her.

Bo sighed. She kicked all the trash to the corner of the room, and then sat down beside Tamsin.

" So, tell me more about this trial?"

" What do you want to know?"

" I don't know, like everything?" Bo said, " How about you start with the drawing ritual where you select your trial?"

Tamsin shook her head. " Damn, I guess you are the fucking curse that I can't get rid of. The drawing ritual takes place in Asgard..."

" So, will we be seeing my father again?"

" He may or may not show up. It's solely the Valkyrie sisterhood business." Tamsin said, " We just need to go see the spirit of the Archvalkyrie in her shrine, and get her blessing and the name of the trial."

" That's it?" Bo asked.

" What else do you want?" Tamsin frowned, staring at her.

" I thought there was going to be more flesh carving and chanting stuff..."

" Oh you are such a baby Fae." Tamsin murmured as she took a sip from the whiskey bottle.

Bo wanted to say something, but the sudden, loud music interrupted her. She turned around, and saw the two Kitsunes were up and dancing again. She looked at Tamsin, the blonde gave her a I-told-you-so look.

" Casey! Amanda! What the hell?!" Bo went to turn down the music. She stared at the two, not sure if she should be furious about the half drunk, half awake Kitsunes. She knew they were totally not teenagers anymore, but even real teenagers were more mature than them.

" Unaligned and boring!" Amanda stopped dancing and rolled her eyes at Bo.

" I'll give you one minute, either tell me what the fuck you two are doing at my place, or get the hell out of here." Bo moved her glare to Casey.

" There's this Kitsune killer, killed like a bunch of girls. We are scared..." Casey said, as if it was totally no big deal to show up unannounced.

" Relax, bitches. The killer only kills Kitsunes from a certain family..." Bo frowned.

" Hello?" Casey pointed at herself with her index finger.

" You- you are from that family?! The prophet family?" Bo exclaimed in pure surprise.

Casey nodded with a big smile on her face.

" Oh, please, anyone tell me this is a joke." Bo rolled her eyes. She heard the Valkyrie huffed out a laugh, and she shot her a glare.

" Sorry, babe." Casey said, " Can't choose my parents, right?"

" Fuck me." Bo cursed. Then she turned to Amanda, " Don't tell me you are her fucking evil twin."

" No, but Casey and I are inseparable." Amanda said, " Where she goes, I go."

" Fine, if you are gonna stay at my place, no loud music, no boyfriend sleep over, and bring your own fucking liquor. Behave or I'll kick you both to the curb." Bo said as she shot a glare at both of them.

Both of the Kitsune girls shrugged.

" Oh and both my bed and Kenzi's bed are off limits. You two can share the couch if you want, or the floor."

" No need, babe." Casey pulled their sleeping bags out from behind the couch and said, " Amanda and I always sleep together, when we are not fucking other guys, or girls."

" Great. Good for you." Bo said with a fake on her face, " Now can you please tell me what is the deal with this stupid prophecy family?"

" People in my family occasionally blacks out, or wakes up, or goes crazy, or whatever, and say some random bullshit." Casey said as she sat down on the couch and started to paint nails with Amanda.

" What do they normally say?" Bo asked.

" Don't know, don't care... Amanda, you know I hate that color!"

" But it goes well with mine."

" How about you go with me once?"

Bo sighed. She reached her hands out and pinched both girls' ears. " Stop fighting over the fucking nail polish and focus!" She said to Casey, " Do you know anyone else that is from your family?"

" My mom, but she died years ago. Then her mom, her grandmother, great grandmother, all gone." Casey said, " Most of them died in accidents at a pretty young age, price to pay for being a possible prophet, right?"

" Anyone else? You need to tell me if you know anyone else, because they might be in danger too."

" Nope." Casey said.

" You guys never have big family reunions or something?"

" No family reunions for us, babe, at least for decades." Casey shrugged, " The less people know about your identity, the safer you are, right?"

" Then how the hell did the killer know Hailey, Amy and the other two were from this family?" Bo said.

" No idea babe." Casey said. She looked like she was not worried at all. She and Amanda nested on the couch, giggling while they were painting nails for each other.

Bo rolled her eyes. " Fucking fox bitches..." She murmured.

Right before she sat down beside Tamsin, someone knocked on the door.

" Oh God, who's coming now!" Bo cursed as she opened the door. She thought it might be Dyson or someone sent by Hale. To her surprise, Mei was standing outside the door. The elder Kitsune was staring at Bo, with a light, warm smile on her face.

" Can I help you?" Bo asked.

" Just want to check on my girls." Mei said. She looked at the two young girls over Bo's shoulder. Bo was shocked to see that suddenly they were both sitting up straight, and the stupid grins on their faces were completely gone.

Then Bo saw Mei smile slyly, when she looked at the Valkyrie. " Oh, your Valkyrie's here too."

" How do you know Casey and Amanda were at my place?" Bo changed the subject because she didn't want Mei to focus on the topic of her and Tamsin.

" Who do you think suggested they come to you for help?" Mei winked at Bo.

" Well, they are fine. I think the alcohol will kill them before the killer does."

" Any progress on the case?" Mei asked as she walked in.

" Emmm... not really... got a few leads but I don't think we are going anywhere." Bo said, " Since you are here, I do have a question for you though."

" Anything you want to know." Mei smiled at her. Her eyes shined like the afternoon sunshine.

" If the identities of this prophet family of yours hide so deep that even the members of the family don't know each other, how did the killer figure it out?"

Mei sighed. " That's another reason why I'm here. Last time we were in the police station, we talked about the same issue. You said there might be a mole who leaked the information to the killer, so I did some work on that. Decades ago, there was a family reunion of this prophet family..."

" I thought they don't do family reunions."

" Not anymore, but they used to." Mei said, " The reason why they don't anymore, is because during this one, a Kitsune from that family went missing." Mei said, " He was known for his prophetic ability, so we thought someone kidnapped him for that. In order not to lose anyone else, we destroyed all the written things we had on the family members, and they are no longer allowed to meet other members of the group outside of their immediate family. But..."

" But?"

" A new piece of information just came to me this morning. This missing prophet, he had a party list on him when he went missing..."

" So you mean he had a list of the names of the family members?"

" A partial list." Mei said, " I reviewed the case files we had on that missing persons' case, and found out that the guest list was torn and part of it was missing. I think he might have accidentally grabbed it when fighting with the kidnapper."

" So you think that's how the killer found out about the victims." Bo said, " Any idea who took that prophet?"

" Some humans took him. We believe those humans had a connection with that terrorist organization that was raided a couple months ago."

" Taft's organization? Seriously?" Bo exclaimed. She stared at Mei, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. The elder Kitsune nodded.

" Wait, you said the guy disappeared decades ago, that was before Taft was born. How could he have done that?"

" I didn't say it was him. He was not the founder of that organization. It was there long before he was born."

" So the killer is someone from that organization? A human?"

" I don't think a human could have possibly done this. Maybe it has nothing to do with the organization either." Mei said, " It's been a long time. They may or may not still have that list."

" Yeah whatever, that leads to nowhere."

" Well, that's all I know so far." Mei said as she stood up, " Don't let me down. Once you find the killer, I'll tell you about the chosen one." She winked at Bo before she walked out.

Bo let out a deep breath. The glamour of Mei's was not affecting her as much as before, but she could still feel it in the air. The pressure just dropped as soon as Mei closed the door behind her.

" What's up with you two?" Bo asked as she stared at Casey and Amanda. They sat on the couch with their backs so straightened up that they looked like two statues.

" Is she gone?" Casey asked Bo without moving her lips. She moved her eyes a little, with her head holding still.

" Yeah, she's gone." Bo said.

Both Kitsunes let out a deep breath and lay on the couch exhausted. " Now, who's gonna need some drinks?" Amanda jumped off the couch after a few minutes and yelled.

" Oh Me! Me!" Casey raised both of her hands.

Bo rolled her eyes in the air. " Well, I'm gonna go to bed now. If you two wake me up at night and it is not because of an emergency, I'll kill you two before the killer finds you." She said to Casey and Amanda. Then she walked to Tamsin and said, " Don't tell me you are gonna go haywire with them."

" No. I think it's bedtime for me too."

" Then you are coming with me."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

" Why do I have to sleep with you in the same bed?" Tamsin grumbled in a low voice.

" Well, there are only two beds in this house. One of them belongs to Kenzi." Bo said, " Unless you want to go downstairs and take the couch, you're stuck with me."

" Oh this is great..." Tamsin murmured. She stared at the ceiling, so she wouldn't have to make eye contact with Bo, because she didn't know how to deal with Bo's passionate gaze on her. Every cell of her body, and every inch of her skin, was screaming for the brunette's touch. Only the last bit of her senses told her not to dwell in. _She's a succubus. She charms people. It's why everyone falls for her. And there is that stupid bond, which amplifies every fucking thing. _Tamsin repeated to herself. She knew how weak it was if she really wanted to convince herself, but she knew she had to try. It was bad enough for her to already fall for the succubus, but, it would be much worse if she threw herself to the brunette like all the other people were doing. It would be best if they just keep being like this, not talking about the feelings, the bond, or anything.

Bo was looking at the Valkyrie. She could feel Tamsin's cravings for her spiking, but, outwardly the blonde acted indifferent. She wasn't looking at her, and she kept a distance from her in the bed too, just like she had always been when they were together. There were a few times when the blonde had actually thrown herself at her, but mostly because she needed to feed or the blonde was drunk. Bo was a little bit confused, because of all the conflicting signs she picked from the blonde. She knew that Tamsin had feelings for her, but only because it was what Acacia had told her. The Valkyrie never told her in person, and she never dared to ask.

Hesitating for a while, Bo finally moved herself closer to the blonde. She slowly reached her hand out, and grabbed the blonde's left hand. She could feel the blonde's body suddenly become rigid. Bo gently ran her index finger on Tamsin's left palm, her eyes following. Tamsin took a deep breath and held it. She had to close her eyes and turn her head away. The touch from Bo felt like a small wave of electric shocks to her. It felt so intimate that she almost instantly wanted to run away.

" My Valkyrie..." Bo murmured, as she pressed her lips on the blonde's palm, giving her a light kiss. She felt like she was bedazzled by something, maybe the bond between them, or maybe the chemistry between them, or maybe, both. She just wanted to get closer to the Valkyrie, as close as she could. It was such a strange yet extremely warm feeling whenever she thought about the fact that Tamsin had bonded with her for life. She felt Tamin's hand trembling in hers, for a moment she thought the Valkyrie would surely pull away, but she didn't.

" Say that one more time, and I'm outta here." Tamsin said to Bo, and herself. She could feel the energy between them spiking, and it was definitely not just Bo's hunger, but it was just so strong, and it terrified her. It was just way too intimate for her to handle.

Bo raised her eyebrows, staring at the blonde. A mischievous smile appeared on her face. She leaned close to the blonde and whispered to her ears, " My-"

" Shhh!" Suddenly Tamsin shushed her and laid her finger on Bo's lips.

" I know you don't want to leave..." Bo grinned. She leaned close, trying to kiss the blonde, but the blonde stopped her.

" No, seriously. Listen." Tamsin whispered to her as she raised herself up from the bed, listening to the noise coming from downstairs.

Bo frowned. Now she heard the noise too. They both stayed in silence and listened for a while, but then the noise was gone.

" Probably just one of the fox bitches getting up for water or something..." Bo murmured to Tamsin and she lay back down to the bed.

Tamsin let out a deep breath and lowered her body to the bed too. After staring at the ceiling for a while, she finally turned to face Bo. She was not sure if it was her feelings for Bo, or just Bo's charm which filled the air in the room, but the desire for the brunette in her heart had grown to a point that it could not be contained anymore. She sighed, caressing Bo's face lightly with her hand. A few weeks ago, she thought she'd never see her ever again, but now, having her by her side, with that familiar smile on her face, Tamsin felt like she was living in a dream.

Bo gasped and leaned close, kissing the blonde on her lips. Pulling the Valkyrie closer to her, Bo savored her lips with her tongue. The blonde moaned, melting in the kiss in seconds. She could feel Bo's hands caressing her back, then tucking under the pajamas on her that belonged to Bo. Her breasts were cupped in Bo's warm, soft hands, when Bo's kisses moved to her neck.

Just when they were about to move further, they both heard the noise coming from the downstairs again, as if someone was walking. Then they both heard Amanda's voice, calling for Casey, scared, shaking.

" Fuck!" They both cursed simultaneously and grabbed their weapons from the side table.

They rushed downstairs, ready to strike any enemy, but they were surprised to see no one there but Casey and Amanda. Amanda was kneeling on the floor. It looked like she didn't know what to do. She looked startled, a little bit scared and concerned. She was staring at Casey.

Casey was standing right beside the couch and staring outside the window. She looked so peaceful, bathing in the silver moonlight. Yet there was something weird. Casey's eyes were pure white, with no pupils in them. They looked so unreal, almost creepy.

Tamsin waved to Amanda, telling her to come over. Amanda scrambled over and hid behind Tamsin and Bo.

" What happened?" Bo whispered to her.

" I don't know! I heard a noise and I woke up, and saw her like this. You think maybe we should smash a pan to her head to wake her up or something?"

Bo frowned at Amanda and said, " Do you really think cartoon violence is the way to solve this?"

" Well I don't know! I'm freaking out!" Amanda said. She was not aware that she raised her voice a little, and Casey suddenly turned her head to face them, like she just heard what Amanda said.

" Oh no! She's looking at us! Is she coming closer? Is she shape shifting?" Amanda closed her eyes and mumbled.

" Listen!" Tamsin grabbed her collar, " Get your shit together and shut the fuck up!"

Casey stared at them, with her weird white eyes. Both Bo and Tamsin gripped their daggers tightly. But Casey didn't come closer, and with her eyes like that, it was really hard to say whether she was staring at them, or she just was facing their way.

" The chaos. The monster. The new. The perished." Casey started to speak. It didn't sound like Casey. In fact, it didn't sound like a person. It sounded like the howling of an animal, or the purring of a beast. The sound echoed in the air, light, but firm. Bo and Tamsin could hardly get what she was saying, and they understand none of what she was saying. The Kitsune girl just went on and on, repeating the same four sentences again and again.

" Is this..." Bo whispered to Tamsin, " Is this the fucking prophecy thing they do?"

" No fucking idea..." Tamsin whispered back.

" Oh my God, oh my God... I will never make fun of this ever again, I swear!" Amanda was talking to herself behind Bo and Tamsin. Both of them turned around and shot a glare at her, stopping her from talking more.

Casey went silent for a while, with her head lowered a little, as if she was thinking hard about something. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips were clenched. Then she tilted her head and faced Bo and Tamsin again.

" Identical wings, one clipped." Casey whispered in a very low voice, as if she was talking to herself. Her voice changed to a soft tone. " The charming one, coming..." The last word of hers was barely audible. And she went back to dead silence again, with her head slightly dropped to one side, like she was a marionette and the manipulator of hers just put her to rest.

Bo and Tamsin waited for a while, hoping that Casey would say something more, as explanations for her previous words, or giving more information, but the Kitsune girl just stood there, as still as a statue. She didn't say one more word. The only thing they could hear was their own breathing sound.

A few minutes later, Casey's eyes suddenly turned back to normal, and she dropped on the floor like a sand bag.

" Shit!" Bo cursed. She ran to Casey, holding her head up in her hands. Tamsin came and checked her pulse. " I think everything is fine." She said.

Bo nodded. She tapped Casey's face, until the girl moved and moaned. Casey sat up slowly, with both of her hands holding her head. " My head...ahhh..." She murmured as she groaned in pain, " How many drinks did I have before I fell asleep?" She looked at Bo, as if nothing had just happened, " And why am I lying on the floor? Where's Amanda?"

" I'm here. I'm here." Amanda kneeled beside her, holding her hand.

" What happened? Why do you all look so serious?" Casey asked, moving her eyes from one person to another, and hoping she could get an answer from anyone of them.

" You...emmm...you were sleep walking." Bo couldn't find the right words for Casey's question, " And you said something...well...weird."

" Oh my God, did I say something embarrassing?" Casey covered her face with her hands. She immediately looked at Amanda, who shook her head lightly to tell her no.

" No, no you didn't. I think you said a prophecy or something..." Bo said.

" Cool!" Casey exclaimed and hugged Amanda. " Knock knock! Who is it? It's the prophet!" She and Amanda both chuckled and rolled on the floor, laughing.

Bo rolled her eyes at Tamsin, and Tamsin just shrugged. Then they both sat down on the couch together and watched the girls.

* * *

Two Kitsunes went back to sleep after rolling around on the floor for a while. They were both breathing peacefully behind the couch. Bo and Tamsin were sitting on the couch quietly. They thought about going back to bed, but they decided to stay downstairs just in case Casey woke up again. Neither of them could go to sleep because of the adrenalin running through their bodies, so they just sat there side by side, staring at the moon outside the window.

Eventually Bo turned to Tamsin. " Can I...emmm...can I ask you something?"

Tamsin looked at her, frowning. She never liked the conversation with Bo which started with Bo asking her if she could ask her something, because every time it was either something she didn't want to tell Bo, or she couldn't.

" This rebirth of yours...emmm...you will be the same after your rebirth, right?" Bo asked before Tamsin even said yes.

" Well, I will not be dying anymore, not until the end of my next cycle. My power will start to increase, till it hits the peak, then start to decrease, till the end of the next cycle." Tamsin said. Then she paused for a while, trying to think about anything she should say but had not. " That's about it." She added.

" No, I'm not asking about that..."

" Then what are you asking about?"

Bo hesitated for a while. She stayed silent, listening to the two Kitsunes behind them. After she made sure that they were sleeping, she said, " I mean...after your rebirth, will you still keep your old memories?"

Tamsin frowned. She was confused at first. _Why is she concerned about my old memories?_ She asked herself, studying the look on Bo's face. Then she suddenly realized what Bo was referring to. The succubus was trying to figure out if she would still remember her after her rebirth. A dull pain passed through Tamsin's heart. She almost reached her arms out to hold the brunette to her chest. She gazed into Bo's eyes. The brunette was looking at her too, begging for an answer. Her eyes were shining underneath the moonlight like stars.

" Will you?" Bo repeated in a whisper. She was frowning a little bit, as if she was afraid that Tamsin would tell her no. She grabbed Tamsin's hand, like she was trying to get something to hold on to.

" Look, you are just too much a pain in the ass for anyone to forget about, ok?" Tamsin smirked, trying not to give away her true feelings. She knew if there was one thing she wanted to remember, it would be every bit of memories she had with Bo.

Bo sighed with a relief. She huffed out a light laugh, as if she knew she had just asked a stupid question.

" And we'll still be bonded, right?"

Tamsin sighed. " Do you not understand _once we bond, we bond for life_ means?"

" Just want to make sure..." Bo said. She thought for sure the blonde would make fun of her ignorance, but to her surprise, the blonde held her hand in hers, as if she was assuring her that they would be together no matter what.

Bo moved closer and rested her head on Tamsin's shoulder. Her heart was filled with feelings she couldn't even describe. But if there was one thing she was sure about, it was that she wanted to stay close with the Valkyrie like this as long as possible.

" We probably should get some sleep. We have the drawing ritual tomorrow in Asgard." Tamsin whispered to her as she lay down on her side of the couch.

" Oh, yeah... Then what about those two?" Bo asked as she pointed to the back of the couch, " And Kenzi?"

" Call your wolf to come over to guard them." Tamsin said, " Or you can send them to the Dal."

" I'll call Dyson tomorrow morning then." Bo yawned. She lay down on top of Tamsin, resting her head on the blonde's chest. Tamsin sighed, putting one of her arm on Bo's waist. " Get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow." She murmured.

" Ok." Bo said, half asleep. The heart beat of the blonde's worked like a sweet lullaby for her, and the warmth emitting from Tamsin just made it better.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Bo sent Kenzi and the two Kitsunes to the Dal the next morning, and she also called Dyson to take care of them. Then she went to Asgard with Tamsin.

Asgard looked exactly the same as it did the last time Bo was there. She stared at the snowy mountain tops in the distance when she walked out from the warp station with Tamsin. She thought maybe they had the exact same amount of snowfall as she saw them last time, no more, no less.

Bo followed Tamsin to Valhalla. This time there was no need for them to hide, or run, or fight. Although, Bo wouldn't consider the thing she felt from all the Valkyries and warrior souls staring at them on the way as hospitality. Everyone who stared at them had this look on their faces that Bo couldn't tell if it was disgust, anger, or just simply envy.

" Just ignore them. Most of them don't have the brains to think about anything other than Odin's orders, and the others who do just won't show their true feelings because it's easier that way." Tamsin whispered to Bo as they walked through the long hallway in Valhalla. All the guards were staring at them, but with their helmets on. Bo couldn't tell what they were thinking under those cold, metal helmets.

Soon they came to the big dining hall. Bo remembered Tamsin had told her that it was the place where Odin met all Valkyries and warrior souls every evening for feasting.

Instead of taking the turn to the prison cell area, they turned the other way this time. After passing through a heavy, well-decorated door, Bo found herself and Tamsin standing in another long, empty hallway.

No sentinels on the both sides of the hallway, just some pictures hanging on the walls. Some of them were portraits of Valkyries, Gods, or warriors. The others were just views of the forests, mountains or rivers. There were lots of doors on both sides, and they were all closed. On each door there were a few runic characters which Bo couldn't read.

" What are these rooms for?" Bo asked in a low voice.

" The dorms of Valkyries. No one is here right now. They are all out training."

" Do you have a room here too?" Bo asked.

" Obviously, I am a Valkyrie, aren't I?"

" Can I see it?" Bo teased Tamsin.

" Fine. Whatever." Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo. They walked for a while before Tamsin opened a door on the right side of the hallway.

" This is your...room? It's..." Bo couldn't finish her sentence when she saw the inside of the room. It was small, probably about 100 square feet in size. The only things that were in the room was a bed, a desk and a chair. A half closed wall separated the living area and the bath room. There was no shower curtain, nor bath tub, just a shower head above the floor. " You sure this is not the prison?"

" You've seen the prison here, ok?" Tamsin smirked at Bo.

" No wonder why you like my bed..."

" Who the fuck ever said I liked your bed?" Tamsin said as she shot a stare at Bo, gnashing her teeth.

Bo gave an innocent look, and said, " Ok. I shouldn't have asked to see your room, I guess..."

" Can we go now?" Tamsin asked as she closed the door.

" Sure."

* * *

After a few turns and a lot of walking around, Bo and Tamsin had finally arrived at a bigger room, with some decorations. It had the same theme as the big room, with a lot of things painted in read and gold. An old woman looked at Tamsin. Then she turned her eyes to Bo, and a confused look appeared on her face. " Who are you? You are not a Valkyrie."

" Yeah, I know. I bonded with one." Bo said to her. Tamsin rolled her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

" Oh, you are the succubus. Yeah, yeah, of course..." The old woman mumbled as she stood up, " What do you two want?"

" Rebirth Trial Invitation." Tamsin said as she handed her the envelope with her invitation in it. The woman took it and read it. She read for a long time, that Bo almost thought something was wrong. But the woman finally raised her head and said to Tamsin, " You, come with me." Then she turned to Bo and added, " You, stay here."

Bo watched Tamsin enter another room with the woman, and they left the door half closed behind them. Bo could hear them talking inside, but she couldn't hear what they were talking about. She waited for a while, then she got bored. She circled around in the room for a few times, looking at the paintings on the wall.

Then she turned around, and saw someone standing right in front of her. She gasped, almost screamed, but then she realized it was Odin. The wanderer dressed in the suit, just like the first time they met. He had his walking stick in his right hand, and his ravens on his shoulder. He stared at Bo quietly, with his only eye.

" Hello to you too, _dad_." Bo said.

Odin nodded slightly to her, but he didn't say anything. Bo could still remember vividly how furious he was last time they saw each other, when she told him she bonded with Tamsin, and she was still a little bit scared.

" Are you here just to stare, or you do have something to say?" Bo asked, frowning.

Odin took a deep breath. He switched the stick to his left hand, and tilted his body to the other side. " So, of all the Valkyries, you chose her." He finally opened his mouth.

" Yeah, so?"

" She's about to go through her rebirth trial. You can die too, do you know that?"

" I am fully aware of that, _father_."

Odin shook his head. He didn't say anything for a while. Then he cleared his throat and said, " One day you will fully understand..."

" Understand what? Understand why you chopped off Acacia's hand? Or why you were forcing Tamsin to deliver me to you? Or why you threatened her with her life?" Bo said, with her contained anger roaring inside her, " No, _father_, I would never fully understand, nor do I want to!"

" I meant your fate." Odin said in a low, firm voice, " You are supposed to bond with the strongest Valkyrie."

" She is the strongest Valkyrie. To me she is." Bo said as she stared at her father. Strangely, she was not afraid of him anymore. She could still vividly remember how he made her sweat and tremble last time with his burning anger, but now, staring at the same angry man, she couldn't feel any fear. Instead, she felt stronger, or braver, or just more determined, like she would never be threatened by him anymore.

Something complicated flashed through Odin's only eye. He didn't reply to what Bo had said. He just gazed into Bo's eyes and frowned. Then he said, " Maybe fate has its own course to run after all."

" Huh?" Bo frowned. She was expecting something angry comments from Odin, but instead, the wanderer calmly said to her, " May you not die in the trial."

" Well, I don't need your blessing..." Bo said, but the wanderer just vanished, like he was never there.

" Who are you talking to?" Tamsin's voice came from behind. She sounded confused.

" Who else could it be? My dear dad."

" What did he say?"

" Nothing. Just his mumble jumble." Bo said, " What were you doing in there?"

" Signing all kinds of paperwork for the trial and stuff." Tamsin said, rolling her eyes, " Let's go see the Archvalkyrie spirit now, shall we?"

* * *

Bo followed Tamsin. They walked out from another exit of Valhalla and came to a huge lake. The water in the lake was a beautiful blue color, and there was not a single ripple on the surface. It looked like a big piece of sapphire, shining under the sun. The color of the water reminded Bo of Tamsin's eyes. She blushed when she realized what she was thinking. " So where is the shrine?" Bo asked.

Tamsin raised her eyebrows, pointing to the lake. Bo was confused, because she didn't see anything besides the water. Then suddenly something occurred to her. " The shrine...is under the water?"

" Wow, you are as smart as I thought you were." Tamsin smirked at Bo.

" How are we gonna get to the shrine then?"

" Emmm... we dive in?" Tamsin said, as if it was as simple as walking up the stairs.

" Ok, fine." Bo said, " Maybe we need some safety measure or something, you know."

" If you can't survive this, we may as well just die under the water, because you sure as hell won't survive the trial." Tamsin said, " Just take a deep breath, hold it, and follow me."

Bo nodded. She saw Tamsin taking a deep breath, and dived. She followed her after holding a deep breath. The water was cold, but she got used to it after a few seconds. It was a sunny day, and it was very clear under water. Bo didn't see any fish, shellfish, or any other water dwellings. It was just an empty, deep lake, with the water of the sapphire color.

Bo saw Tamsin going down in front of her, and she followed her. Then she saw the massive remains at the bottom of the lake. The red and gold colors on them were half faded, and the walls were eroded by the water, but they still looked impressive.

Bo opened her mouth to awe, forgetting that she was in water. As soon as she opened her mouth, bubbles came out from her mouth and her lungs. Bo panicked. She was not sure if she should follow Tamsin, or go up for some air. She struggled with her decision for a few seconds. Then she saw Tamsin swam up towards her. The Valkyrie tightly gripped her waist and pulled her closer. She held her in her arms and forced her to follow.

Bo wanted to say something, but again she forgot that she was in water. More air came out from her mouth, and she could see the bubbles rising towards the surface of the lake. They looked shiny in the water.

Then she felt that the Valkyrie turned around and pulled her closer. She opened her eyes wide, and the next thing she knew was Tamsin's lips pressed on hers. The kiss calmed her down and gave her some air. Tamsin pulled herself back after a few seconds, and let Bo go down with her by grabbing Bo's waist with her arm.

They approached the remains fast. Bo thought she was about to suffocate, but soon she found herself landing on the solid ground at the entrance of the remain, and she could breathe again.

" Wow, this is...how is it possible that I can breath now?" Bo said as she gasped for air. She had never felt she needed air this badly before.

" No fucking idea. It's just how these remains works. Maybe there's a force field around it or something." Tamsin said, " No one knows. This was built long before this world cycle."

" World cycle?" Bo asked as she followed Tamsin inside.

" Yeah...everyone says that the world has its cycle too. These buildings were left from the last cycle of the world. Don't ask me, I don't know shit." Tamsin said. She stopped at the courtyard inside the building and looked around, trying to figure out which way to go. " Shit, it's been like forever since last time I was here...this way." She pointed at a gate to Bo.

Bo followed her through the gate. There was a few runic letters carved on the arch of the gate. " Damn, one day you really need to teach me to read these shit." Bo murmured.

" One thing at a time, succulet, one thing at a time." Tamsin said, smiling at her. She stopped right in front of Bo, waiting for her to catch up.

A few minutes later, Bo fell behind again. Tamsin sighed. She turned back and grabbed Bo's hand in hers. Bo knew the Valkyrie slowed down a little for her, and she felt happy. With her fingers interlocked with Tamsin's, she thought maybe she could just walk with her like this forever.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews!**

**As for the trial selection, I totally made things up. Not sure if there is Archvalkyrie, but I imagine she was once a very powerful Valkyrie who ascended as a half spirit, half Goddess being. Just to make the story interesting :)**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

" Wow, how big is this place?" Bo exclaimed after they walked inside the remains for a while. At first she thought it was just a hall, or a single building, but as they walked along, she realized that it was much bigger than that. The colored paint were partially faded, and the water outside gave the whole building a light blue glow. There were rooms after rooms, hallways, gates and statues. The furniture and paintings were still at where they used to be, worn out, but still there. " What exactly is this place?"

" Think of it as the old Valhalla." Tamsin said, " It's massive."

" Why did they build it under the lake?"

" They didn't. It was flooded."

" There's flood in Asgard? I thought it is just something in the mortal world." Bo said.

" Well, I didn't see the flood, but I heard that it came when the world ended last time." Tamsin said, " That's why it's under the water now."

" Oh..." Bo said as she admired the old Valhalla on her way. She paused for a while, then continued, " So they build a new Valhalla...Then why can't we meet this spirit in the new Valhalla?"

" The spirit just won't show up in the new shrine. Maybe she's just too sentimental or something." Tamsin said, " Shit, I don't fucking know. She's a spirit."

" Ok..." Bo murmured. She walked after the Valkyrie, passing by a fountain. There was no water coming out from it, and it looked like there had not been any water for a long time. The mermaid figurine inside the fountain looked lonely, with a conch in her hand. Bo stared at it for awhile, till Tamsin said to her, " Hey, we are not exactly here for site seeing, ok?" Bo shrugged, starting to follow the Valkyrie again.

A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a building. It was tall but with a narrow gate. A long stair way was built in front of it, with runic letters carved on the steps. Two Valkyrie statues were standing on each side of the stair. They were both on horses, fully armed. One of the Valkyries was holding a long spear in her right hand over her head, like she was going to strike at an enemy. The other Valkyrie was protecting herself with a shield on her left arm and her right hand was reaching back with a sword, ready to strike. They both looked so real, as though they might come to life in any minute.

Bo touched the statues in awe. The stone was cold, and dry. " So these were built by people from the last world cycle too?" She asked.

" Every pebble down here is." Tamsin said, " Come on, let's go inside."

Bo walked up the stairs with Tamsin. The inside of the building was a little bit cold, and dark. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the air inside the hall. Bo noticed that there were torches on the walls, and the dark marks left by the smoke were still visible, but the torches had not been lit for ages.

In the center of the hall, there was an altar. It look old, one corner of it was damaged. Dark brown stains were all over it. Bo looked around, and saw nothing else in the hall, except a few fallen bricks. A spiral staircase led to the upper floor, but it was missing a few steps.

Tamsin pulled her dagger out and cut her palm. Then she handed it to Bo. Bo cut her own palm too, although she had no idea what it was for. Tamsin grabbed her hand and pressed it onto the altar alongside her own hand. Bo suddenly realized why there were so many brown stains on the altar.

Tamsin was saying something in a low voice. It sounded to Bo like the chanting Acacia did for their bonding ritual. Bo couldn't understand a word of it, so she just stood there and listened.

A few seconds later, a beam of light emitted from the altar. It was so bright that Bo had to close her eyes. She felt a slight vibration from her hand, but it only lasted for a second or two.

When Bo opened her eyes again, she saw a woman, or rather a silhouette of a woman standing in front of them. She looked very real, so real that Bo thought she could feel her breathe, but she was half transparent. Bo couldn't stop staring at her, because she looked so beautiful and so divine. Her long, blonde hair draped on her shoulder. Her green eyes were both cold and warm, cold as she could strike at any enemy at any time with no mercy, yet warm as she could embrace them with her arms. She was fully armored, even with a winged helmet on her head and a sword hanging on her waist. She looked at Bo, then she looked at Tamsin, her lips twitched, giving them both the feeling a warm smile could appear on her face in any second. By the look on Tamsin's face, Bo knew this was the spirit of the Archvalkyrie they were looking for.

" Rebirth Trial?" She asked. Her voice was kind and soft.

" Yeah." Tamsin nodded.

" Normally it's only one at a time." The Archvalkyrie spirit's eyes fell on Bo's face again, as if she was really interested in Bo. " And you, my dear, are not a Valkyrie. You are...a succubus."

" You got me." Bo said, smiling.

" We are...bonded." Tamsin said. She hesitated before she spit the word _bonded_ out.

" Ah, just as I suspected. I haven't seen a Valkyrie's bond in at least five thousand years, and it's always exciting to see a bonded pair." The spirit smiled at them, caressing their faces with her hands. It felt like a gentle, warm breeze on a summer night. Then she held Bo's right hand in hers, and Tamsin's left hand in hers. She put both hands together and covered them with her hands.

" May your hands hold tight. Through the bond, your fate embraced." She whispered to them. Then she laid a kiss on both of their foreheads. Bo felt a light ripple of energy passing through her body with that kiss, and somehow it made her feel peaceful.

" Now, the name of your trial..." The spirit raised her head a little and closed her eyes, as if she was receiving something from the air. Bo saw her lighting up, as if she was turning into a ray of light. Bo felt that everything in her mind was wiped out somehow, and she couldn't think about anything even if she tried. All she could think about was the pure, bright light in front of her. She felt that Tamsin's fingers tightly gripping on hers, and so she held onto her tight too.

Bo didn't know how long it took, but eventually the light disappeared, and so did the spirit. It was just her and Tamsin in the empty hall again, and the wound on her palm just magically healed.

" That's it?" Bo asked, " What is the name of the trial?"

Tamsin opened her hand. There was a small amulet-like thing in her hand. It looked like a pebble with carvings on it.

" I can't read it..." Bo said.

" It's not for you to read..." Tamsin said. She pulled Bo's hand up and put the amulet on her hand, covering it with her own.

As soon as Bo's skin touched the amulet, it lit up. Rays of light escaped through their fingers, and images and voices started to flash through Bo's mind. It felt very strange to Bo, because she was not actually seeing those things, or hearing those things. It was more like someone had shoveled that information directly into her brain. The images flashed through so fast that she could hardly distinguish one frame from another.

There was a car, a very old car, as old and crappy as the one she was driving. She wanted to see the license plate or the make of it, but it just flashed through so fast that the only thing she could grasp was that it was a car. Then she felt the heat waves and the bright sunlight, as if she was standing outside in the hottest season of the year. The sun almost burnt her skin, and there were no clouds in the sky. Acres and acres of orchard were on both sides of the road, and the fruit trees were all dead. Bo couldn't tell what type of fruit trees they were, because everything just seemed like a moving shadow to her. Miles and miles of grass fields lay beyond the orchard, all dried out completely, like it had not rained for months. Cicadae were screaming everywhere, so loud that Bo unconsciously covered her ears, but then she realized that it wouldn't help at all, because it was something inside her head. Then she saw faces, hundreds of them, but she couldn't recognize any of them because they just flashed through too fast. She couldn't remember any of them, the only impression she got was all of them looked pale, and weak. The last thing Bo knew was a soft voice in her head. It was the voice of the Archvalkyrie spirit. It sounded so real, like she was whispering it into Bo's ears right now. She only said two words, _the drought_.

Suddenly all the flashing sounds and images were gone. Bo gasped hard, falling a few steps back. It took a while before she could catch her breath. She tried to catch her breath for a while. Then she looked at Tamsin. The Valkyrie was frowning, with a very serious look on her face.

" What? What's wrong?" Bo asked, frowning. From the look on Tamsin's face, she knew there was something wrong.

" Fuck! The name of the trial is The Drought!" Tamsin said.

" Yeah, I heard that too." Bo said," What is it about?"

" I don't know...something related to a drought, I guess." Tamsin replied.

" Ok... are we gonna go water the orchard or something?" Bo teased her. Then she realized that she shouldn't have done that, because the look on Tamsin's face was dead serious. " Hey, if you are worried about it, we can ask the Valkyries who took this trial for information, right?"

" No, we can't."

" Why? You are not supposed to talk about it or something?"

" No. We can talk about anything we want."

" Then why can't we find someone who completed this trial before and ask her about it?"

" Because..." Tamsin paused for a while before she continued, " No one has ever completed The Drought."

" Oh. Wow, you mean no one has ever drawn this trial before? That's kinda weird..."

Tamsin shook her head and said, " Shit! You are not listening, are you? I meant no one has ever completed this trial, as in they all failed."

" By failed you mean, they are all...dead?" Bo was shocked. She looked at Tamsin, hoping that she got it wrong, but Tamsin nodded.

" How? I mean, why has no one succeeded?"

" Remember I told you that most trials are hard but doable, and there are a couple very easy ones, and a couple impossible ones?"

" Yeah."

" This one is one of the impossible ones." Tamsin said, " I don't know what it is about. No one knows what it is about, because whoever chose this trial in the past has never came back. I've known a few Valkyries who drew this one, and none of them returned..."

" Are you serious?" Bo asked.

" Yep. We are screwed." Tamsin smirked at Bo, trying to sound as relaxed as she could, but a bitter look still appeared in her eyes.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Bo and Tamsin came out from the lake soaking wet. The bright sunlight made Bo narrow her eyes and blink. " Is there a place we could dry ourselves or something?" She asked Tamsin, trying to direct their conversation away from the rebirth trial. She could tell from the look on Tamsin's face that the Valkyrie was very much concerned about her trial, if not worried.

Tamsin sighed. " Yeah, I suppose we can go to my room."

" You mean the room you just showed me?"

" It's either that or hours of wet and cold till we get home, are you coming or not?" Tamsin said to Bo as she frowned at her.

Bo sneezed. She followed Tamsin without further complaining.

* * *

The dorm area was still empty. The Valkyries were all out training. Tamsin opened the door and let Bo in.

Bo stood in the middle of the room, staring at Tamsin. She was not sure what she should do, because she saw no laundry utilities of any kind.

Tamsin stared back with a mocking smile on her face. " Take off your clothes, wring them dry and hang them up over there." She said to Bo as she pointed at a rope beside the window.

" Gee, how long is that gonna take to dry the clothes?" Bo murmured as she took off her clothes.

" We'll have to stay here overnight. Wrap your clothes in the towels and wring with them together, it'll dry faster." Tamsin threw Bo a few bath towels. Then she took off her own clothes.

Both of them were blushing when they realized that they were fully naked in a room together. Tamsin turned her head away, clearing her throat. Bo kept staring at Tamsin's body, until she felt her hunger spiking. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

" I guess...it's shower time..." Tamsin said as she grabbed Bo's wrist and pulled her into the shower. She turned on the water, facing away from Bo. " There's only ten minutes of hot water, so...make it quick, succulet." Tamsin said.

" Wow, what if...you need to take a longer shower or something?"

" Then you'll have to use cold water." Tamsin smirked.

Bo felt like it was the fastest shower she had ever taken, but it felt so great to bathe in the hot water after being cold and wet. Tamsin finished before her. When Bo got out from the shower, the Valkyrie was already sitting on her bed, wrapped in a blanket.

" Do I get to use the blanket too?" Bo teased her as she walked to the bed.

Tamsin rolled her eyes, lifting one side of the blanket, inviting Bo in. Bo tucked herself under the blanket, closely pressing her body against Tamsin's. She felt the Valkyrie's body went stiff, but she didn't move away.

Both of them decided to lie down on the bed instead of sitting because it would be easier to cover them under the blanket. For a while, they just lay there, staring at the ceiling, without moving. Both felt a little bit awkward being in the same bed, completely naked but fully awake and conscious.

The sweet scent of the blonde's surrounded Bo. It was vague but intoxicating. Bo took a deep breath, and turned herself around to face the blonde, which was pretty hard for her to do without falling off the bed because the bed was not designed for two. The blonde looked into her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes of hers were filled with pain and sadness, just like Bo remembered. She was so familiar with this look once, before she had known about the sacrifices the blonde made for her. Every time the blonde had something heavy on her mind, she got drunk and came to see her, with the exact same look in her eyes, but ever since they bonded, that look had disappeared, until now.

" Hey, it's gonna be fine." Bo said, frowning. She wasn't sure what she should do to make that look go away. She wasn't even sure why that look was back. She laid her hands on the blonde's waist. They both jerked a little when their skin touched, as if they were burnt by the other person's heat. Bo pulled Tamsin closer, embracing her tightly in her arms. " You are really worried about the trial, aren't you?" She whispered to the blonde, thinking maybe it was a good time for them to talk about it, since they were not going anywhere for a while.

" Of course I'm fucking worried. Damn, do you not understand what impossible means?" Tamsin said, reluctantly accepting the fact that they were cuddling in the small bed of hers.

" I do, but hey, other people didn't complete it, doesn't mean we can't." Bo said.

" Why are you so fucking optimistic?" Tamsin murmured, frowning at Bo.

" Well, you said it yourself, most of the Valkyries don't have the brains to do anything else than following Odin's orders. Besides, they were not bonded with anyone, were they?"

" The bond won't do shit during my trial. We can't use Fae power, remember?"

" Doesn't matter, whatever shit it is coming down, we'll face it together." Bo said, " Hey, maybe it's not that impossible, I mean. Maybe there's a mechanism in the trial that has to be completed with two people working together, you know."

Tamsin rolled her eyes and shook her head. She couldn't find the right words to convince Bo that it was indeed something they should be worried about. It was hard enough for her to think straight with the warm touch of Bo's hands on her back and her hair. It was harder to win an argument with Bo when her soft breath was just half an inch away from her ears.

" I wish I still had my vodka stashed here..." Tamsin murmured.

" When are you going to learn that alcohol isn't the way to solve all your problems?" Bo pulled herself back a little so she could look at Tamsin in her eyes.

" Emmm...Try never?"

Bo sighed. She laid a gentle kiss on Tamsin's lips. At first it was nothing but a comforting kiss, but the moment their lips touched, she lost control. She was trying so hard to ignore the pulsing energy flowing around them, and the spiking desire they had for each other, because she thought the blonde needed comforting, instead of lustful intimacy. But tasting the sweetness on the blonde's lips, Bo's mind went blank. All she could do was kiss her hard and pull her closer. She could feel the blonde trembling in her arms, with her lips burning up against her own.

A while later, the blonde pulled herself back. She was breathing hard, with her lips half open. She gazed into Bo's eyes, her head tilting to one side a little bit. Then she frowned a little, cupping Bo's face, and leaned closer, as if she was trying to figure something out. Then she sighed, and said, " Why the hell did you bond with me, Bo? You shouldn't have...You just shouldn't have..."

" Oh we are not seriously having this conversation again!" Bo said. She knew she shouldn't be angry with the blonde, but she still was, partly because she could feel the blonde trying to push her away again, like she always did. " Tamsin." Bo said, lightly pinching Tamsin's chin to raise her face a little, " I bonded with you because I wanted to. I will not regret it even if we both die in your rebirth trial."

" You wouldn't be in my trial, if we were not bonded."

" If we were not bonded, I would have lost you forever." Bo said. She still couldn't imagine how horrifying it would be, if she had lost the Valkyrie forever. She couldn't imagine what her life would be like if the Valkyrie was not by her side anymore. Without her soft lips, her beautiful eyes, her warm touches. Bo didn't know what else would make her happy in her life. She let out a deep breath, and caressed the blonde's face.

" At least you'll be...safe..." Tamsin said. She almost couldn't finish her sentence. Her eyes closed and her forehead pressed against Bo's. She had her hands on Bo's face, not sure if she should push her away, or pull her closer. There were so many emotions running through her heart, that she couldn't figure out what to say, or what to do.

" When are you gonna stop pushing me away?" Bo asked her. She had finally confirmed why Tamsin had that painful look in her eyes again. The Valkyrie was blaming herself of dragging her into danger.

" I am not-"

" Yes you are. Every time you have some problem that involves me, you push me away." Bo said. She remembered how Tamsin used to push her away with all those smart retorts and drunken revelations before, and how she pushed her away when she knew she was dying and never coming back. Bo thought about it, but she didn't say a word of it. She sighed, and continued," We are bonded now, Tamsin. You can't get rid of me even if you wanted to, so you better learn how to deal with it."

_I don't want to get rid of you. I just want you to be safe._ Tamsin thought. She sighed. " You fucking stupid, stubborn..." She cursed in a low voice. She couldn't tell what she was feeling right now. Maybe it was frustration because she knew this day would come ever since they were bonded, that Bo would get dragged into her shit. Maybe it was fears because they were facing a challenge no one had ever won before. Or maybe, it was just simple joy because for better or worse, the brunette would always be there for her. Tamsin took a deep breath, resting her forehead against Bo's chest. She intertwined her fingers with Bo's, as if the brunette would go away if she didn't hold her tight.

" Hey, think of it this way, if we are destined to die, at least we'll be together holding hands." Bo said, smiling at her. She raised Tamsin's hand to her lips and laid a light kiss on her fingers.

" If you are trying to cheer me up, you are doing a horrible, horrible job, succubus." Tamsin said, ignoring the fact that she thought it might be one of the best things she ever hoped for, that she wouldn't die alone.

" Well, I could certainly try something else..." Bo said seductively. She carefully shifted her weight so she could top the blonde without falling off the bed. She stared at the blonde for a while, until the blonde looked away and blushed. Bo chuckled, turning the blonde's head back to face her. Then she lowered her head, kissing her on her lips again. Her tongue savored the blonde's lips before it went into her mouth and met the tongue of the blonde's. They both moaned, drowning in the kiss. Bo had one of her hands cupping Tamsin's breast, pinching her nipple lightly, and the other sliding down across the blonde's body slowly. She could feel every muscle of the blonde tense up under her touch. When she reached her core, the blonde gasped, and for a moment raised herself from the bed, pushing Bo up with her.

Bo chuckled when she felt how wet the blonde had already become. She feathered Tamsin's core, gently rubbing her clit with her finger tips. It swelled up under her touch, and brought a series of moans and gasps to the blonde.

Bo plunged her fingers inside the blonde. The blonde arched away from the bed, fisting the sheets and the blanket under her and bit her bottom lip hard to keep from screaming.

A group of Valkyries were coming back from training and talking in the hallway. The sudden noise startled both of them.

" Wow, this place needs some serious soundproofing..." Bo whispered, slowly moving her fingers inside the blonde, giving her just enough pleasure for her to tremble under her.

" Ya think?" Tamsin said as she tried hard not to make any noise, because she knew how thin those walls were.

" Well, then you'll have to keep it down..." Bo whispered to her, giggling in a low voice. She suddenly accelerated her thrusts inside the blonde, while thumbing her clit the same time. The blonde almost immediately tightened up around her fingers. She didn't scream, nor did she moan. She clenched her teeth so tight that no sound would ever escape from her throat.

Bo held the Valkyrie tight, pulling her close so she could thrust into her harder. The blonde bit her shoulder hard when she climaxed. She rolled her hip to move along with Bo, trying to stay on her peak longer. Bo kept her there for a while, before she let her fall slowly in her arms. Then she rolled off and cuddled the blonde from behind.

" Great..." Tamsin murmured.

" I was actually expecting a stronger reaction than that, but ok..." Bo said, giggling. She pulled the blonde closer and laid a kiss on the back of her neck.

" Shit, I am not fucking commenting on your performance! I meant great, now not only do I need to worry about myself in the fucking trial, but I also need to haul your ass around with me..."

" Well, I'll make sure it is worth your while then." Bo said, holding the blonde tighter. She could hear the Valkyries walking by the door outside on the hallway. Some of them were talking, others laughing. The sound of swords and shields colliding together when they walked. The doors opening and closing. Yet all of them sounded so peaceful and safe to Bo.

The evening sun turned into an orange color, as if someone had spilt a glass of juice over the window, and now the sweet, fresh color was everywhere.

Bo knew the trial was probably gonna be something really dangerous, and unpredictable, but strangely, with the blonde in her arms, she felt like she could face anything with no fear.

" We'll get through this. I promise." Bo murmured before she fell asleep. She felt the blonde's hands gripping hers tighter, as if she was agreeing with her.

* * *

**A/N: Again, thanks for everyone who has reviewed/read the story!**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

" You want me to do what?" Acacia exclaimed as she stared at the young succubus, who was standing in front of her by the bar in the Dal. She was enjoying her morning drinks, until Bo showed up and made an usual request. The elder Valkyrie took a swig from the bottle in her hand, and looked around, as if she was trying to make sure what she had just heard was real.

" I'm asking if you could train me..." Bo said. She observed the look on Acacia's face, but she wasn't quite sure if the elder Valkyrie was just shocked, or disgusted, or just amused by her proposal.

" You want me to train you?" Acacia said as she moved her eyes around Bo, " You want me to train _you_ ?"

" Is it something I shouldn't have asked?" Bo asked, confusing, " Or training means something else in Valkyrie's language?"

Acacia huffed out a loud laugh, as if she had just heard something totally ridiculous. " You do know that I only train Valkyries, starting from a very young age, right?"

" Actually, I don't know about that...but how young are we talking about?" Bo said, " I'm pretty much a...baby Fae, if you allow me to quote Tamsin."

" Young as they learn to hold a sword before they learn to hold a spoon." Acacia said, " Honey, believe me, you are way passed the age for proper training."

" Well, it's not like I want you to make a Valkyrie. I just want to learn... a few tricks and stuff, so..."

" So?" Acacia stared at her, eyebrows raised.

" So maybe I can be a better help in Tamsin's rebirth trial?"

" Oh." Acacia replied. She was a little bit surprised. After pausing for a while, she said," Right, bitch's rebirth trial is coming. Has she selected her trial yet?"

" Yeah, as a matter of fact, she did, I mean, we did. Yesterday."

" I see." Acacia said as she nodded with her eyes looking at the shot glass in her hand. After she paused for a while, she asked, "What is the name of the trial?"

Bo sighed. " The Drought." She said, in a voice so low that Acacia almost didn't catch it.

" Did you just say The Drought?" Acacia exclaimed, leaving the bottle of alcohol together with the glass on the counter.

" Yeah, the drought, the impossible one. The one no one ever completed it, blah blah blah." Bo said.

" Then I'd say you two are screwed." Acacia said.

" Well, she said that too." Bo said, amazed by how similar the way Acacia and Tamsin talked. She sat down beside the elder Valkyrie and continued, " Are you gonna help me or not?"

" Listen, succubus, as much as I want to, there's really only so little I can do. You only have one week before the trial, and it's not like you can perfect your sword skills or your tactics in seven days, even if you don't sleep or eat at all."

" Maybe teach me as much as you can?" Bo said, still not willing to give up.

Acacia sighed. " Do you know why there is a rebirth trial ritual for Valkyries?"

" Because someone wants to torture the Valkyries?"

Acacia shot her a cold stare. " Because a Valkyrie herself is a weapon, and the trial is to test if that weapon is still good without all the Fae powers. Don't think about the trial as you need to kill thousands of monsters, or anything like that. It's more about the battle skills, the survival skills, the instincts, the tactics, and the leadership during a time of danger, as well as decision making. These are the most important things in the trial, and they take a life time to perfect. How the hell am I supposed to teach you all that in seven days?"

" Well, there's got to be something you can teach me...I don't know...what do Valkyries usually do between the trial selection and the trial? Is there any cramming type of thing they do?"

" Normally? Drink, fuck, have as much fun as you can, because you never know if you are coming back or not." Acacia sneered.

" Wow, you just described Tamsin's daily life..."

" Look, bitch, how about you tell me what you saw about this trial during the trial selection first, and we'll work from there?"

" Well, not a whole lot, I saw a car..."

" A car? Good, which means at least it's modern culture, and you won't be dealing with things like plagues, lack of food or clean water, walk on foot every day, that kinda shit..." Acacia said.

" Wait, are you saying that what I saw is the place we are actually gonna be?"

Acacia rolled her eyes. " Obviously! Why else do you see things during the trial selection? You think it's just for fun?"

" Well, not a Valkyrie, totally no idea." Bo said.

" Ok, the car, and what else?"

" Hmmm... I think it was like the middle of the summer, hot weather, dried out lands, dead fruit trees."

" Ok, then it's not gonna be anywhere in the ocean, or the frozen tundra, or the desert. Believe me, you don't want to get into those places."

" Then I think I saw a lot of faces. I don't recognize anyone though. I mean, even if one of them appeared in front of me right now, I wouldn't be able to tell if it was one of the faces I saw."

" Humans? Faes? Or monsters?"

" I couldn't tell if they were humans or Faes, but definitely not monsters...unless they are in human forms."

" Well, then at least you won't be dealing with a zombie outbreak."

" There's a zombie outbreak trial?"

" Yeah, very nasty...If you get bit, even if you complete the trial, it will still be considered failed."

" Wow, you've suddenly made me feel so much better about this trial." Bo said, " So the environment is totally not harsh, and I didn't see any monsters, and we even have a car. Why the hell hasn't anyone else completed this trial?"

" How the hell do I know? There's got to be something in this trial, making it impossible to finish." Acacia said, " Hey, maybe there's a trap that takes two people to disarm, and none of the Valkyries could do it before because they were alone."

" I practically said the same thing to Tamsin and she rolled her eyes at me."

" I was being fucking sarcastic!" Acacia exclaimed, tilting the bottle in her hand to drink from it.

Bo dropped her head. Apparently both Valkyries enjoyed making fun of her, and she didn't like that.

" How are your surviving skills?" Acacia asked, glancing at Bo from the corner of her eyes.

" If you mean things like hotwiring a car or getting a fake ID, I'd say pretty damn good."

" Well, not just that. I meant things like setting up traps, tracking skills, basical usage of herbology, what can you and can't you eat in the wild, how to find things you need, how to build a shelter."

" Then I would say...I don't know shit. Tamsin knows those things, right?"

Acacia dropped her head in her hand, as if she couldn't believe Bo just said that. " What if that bitch is poisoned and dying, and the only thing you can do to save her is to find an herbal antidote?"

" Then I'll make sure she's safe first..." Bo said, " Although, maybe I should go read some of those books and stuff, and remember as much as I can before the trial...Where can I borrow one? Or a bunch?"

Acacia stared at her, with a mocking look on her face. " Really? You are the granddaughter of the fucking blood king, and he has a library of that type of crap, and you are asking me?"

" Oh yeah, you are right. I need to talk to Trick..." Bo said. She completely forgot about how many weird books Trick had in his den.

" Why don't you go get some books first, and come over here later. I'll see what I can teach you. Better late than never, right?"

" Really? That'll be great! I thought you would totally kick me away."

" Well, what can I say? I'm just deadly bored and I really need some ass to kick?" The elder Valkyrie rolled her eyes at Bo, giving her a cold stare.

* * *

Bo borrowed some books from Trick, hoping that she could learn as much as she could about the surviving skills, so she wouldn't have to rely on Tamsin for everything. She visited Kenzi and the Kitsunes on the way. They were staying in a safe house owned by a friend of Trick's. Bo thought maybe they should move back at first, but then she thought since she was probably going to be training with Acacia for the coming week, and wouldn't be home much, it might be safer for them to stay put.

Bo went back to the Dal in the afternoon, and the elder Valkyrie was waiting for her there.

" So, shall we begin?" Bo asked.

Acacia stared at her, and drew a dagger out. She threw it to Bo. Bo tried to catch it, but she didn't because the angle was too weird for her to reach. The dagger fell on the floor.

The elder Valkyrie growled in frustration. " Oh you didn't just...Look, just pick it up and come with me. We have a shit ton of training to do."

* * *

Tamsin went to the Dal with Dyson after work. She expected to see Bo there, but to her surprise, Bo wasn't. For a moment she wasn't sure what she was feeling right now was disappointment, or relief. She wanted to see Bo. She missed her so badly, from the minute she had dropped her off at the Dal this morning before she went back to work. But she didn't know if Bo had been here, what she would do about it. They hardly make any conversations when they were together alone, let along being surrounded by a room full of people. Tamsin thought if Bo was here, maybe she would do just nothing but sit there drinking, and keep a reasonable distance from the succubus, not too far away so she could smell the familiar scent of hers, but not so close that she could feel her warmth. Tamsin sighed, and downed a drink. She took her phone out, almost wanting to call or to text Bo, but it just seemed too desperate, and being desperate was the very last thing she wanted right now. Her feelings for Bo ate her from inside out, making her lose control over herself, and she hated that. For the first time in her life, or rather, many of her life times, she had feelings for someone so strong that she didn't know what to do.

_Should I talk about this with someone?_ Tamsin asked herself, then immediately she shook her head, because it sounded so rediculous. She never talked about her feelings with anyone. The conversation she had with Dyson before she went to rescue Acacia was the closest to talk-about-her-feelings, and Dyson got it because he was a damn good detective and a close friend.

_Or should I just talk about this with Bo?_ Tamsin asked herself again. This time she shook her head even faster. With the Kitsune killer case, the rebirth trial, and Odin's plan for Bo on their asses, a conversation about how she felt for the succubus was probably the worst idea, because it wouldn't help solving anything.

After drinking for a while, Tamsin saw Kenzi come in with the two Kitsunes. The Russian girl seemed to have developed a firm, steady friendship with those two in the past few days, if friendships were based on margaritas. They were laughing out loudly, ordering drinks, with the big guy named Bruce shadowing them around.

_So she's not with Kenzi, or the Kitsunes_. Tamsin thought to herself. She checked her phone again. No text or call from Bo. It was then she realized that this was the first day in weeks that they were not together at this time of the day. It suddenly came to her that they practically slept together almost every night, at her place, at Bo's place, or in Asgard. Every night, she fell asleep in Bo's arms, with her soft touches on her hair and her kisses on her forehead. Right now, every cell of her body was screaming for that.

" Oh the fucking bond!" Tamsin cursed. She knew it was not just the bond, but she liked to blame on it, because the strong feelings she had right now scared the crap out of her. She had never fallen for someone, anyone, like this before, and the damn succubus charm just pulled her deeper.

_Stop. Stop. Stop doing this fucking shit._ Tamsin told herself, squeezing the shot glass in her hand. She couldn't stop thinking about Bo. Every corner of her heart, every cell of her brain was filled with Bo. She inhaled hard, downing another drink.

" Are you ok?" Dyson asked her, frowning. He had just finished his pool game and was coming to the bar to get a beer. He could tell there was something on Tamsin's mind.

" I'm...fine." Tamsin rolled her eyes at him.

" Uh huh." Dyson said, " Where is Bo?"

" How the fuck do I know? Do you see a leash in my hand somewhere?" Tamsin said, staring at Dyson.

" Ok..." Dyson said. He hesitated for a moment, then finally decided to sit down beside Tamsin. " So how's things going with you two?"

" Nothing is going with us, ok? We're just...bonded."

" That I've heard." Dyson nodded, " How do you feel?"

" Good, great, fucking fantastic, except that I have a succubus stuck on my ass now." Tamsin murmured.

Dyson laughed. He could tell that Tamsin was not in a sharing mood right now, so he just stopped talking, and went back to his pool games, leaving Tamsin at the bar.

Tamsin stayed in the Dal till almost midnight, but Bo never showed up. She wasn't even sure whether she was drinking, or waiting for Bo, but eventually she decided that she should go home.

* * *

Tamsin's phone beeped just as she was about to open the door of her apartment. She took a glance at the screen, and realized it was a text from Bo.

_Are you home?_ The succubus asked.

_Yes._ Tamsin replied. A few seconds later, she got another text from Bo. _Can I come over?_

Tamsin paused for a while, and replied another _yes_ to her.

She crashed on her couch, waiting for the succubus. Torn by her conflicting emotions, Tamsin's mind wandered between being happy knowing Bo was coming, and frustrated because she thought she might be going crazy.

Tamsin closed her eyes. When she opened them again a while later, she saw the brunette leaning on the door frame. Her jacket was half torn, and so were her jeans. Her face was covered in dirt and sweat, as well as her black tank top.

" Hey." Bo said to Tamsin. Her voice was a little bit hoarse, and she looked exhausted, but she was grinning.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

For a minute or two, Tamsin just sat there, staring at Bo, until the succubus said, " Aren't you gonna let me in?"

" Well, the door is open." Tamsin said. She saw Bo walk in and close the door. Then she noticed a few bruises and contusions on Bo's face. " Got your ass kicked?" She asked, trying to sound indifferent. She couldn't help but wonder why and how she got them.

" Yeah, by a woman." Bo said.

" So retro." Tamsin smirked, " Your performance disappointed her?"

" Well, I guess you could say that." Bo walked closer to the blonde. In fact every inch of her body was either sore or painful or numb right now, but she was just so happy to see Tamsin. She couldn't stop thinking about her ever since they parted this morning. And what made her enjoy this moment more, was that she found the worrying look in Tamsin's eyes that the blonde was trying to suppress when she laid her eyes on Bo's bruises.

" Then I suggest next time you not go for someone who is totally way out of your league." Tamsin said, scrunching her nose at Bo.

" You are right, she's totally way out of my league." Bo chuckled.

" What exactly are you doing here?" Tamsin frowned. She could tell that Bo was joking with her, but she wasn't sure why Bo would joke about her _conquests_ to her like this.

" To give you a chance to take care of me?" Bo said. She reached her arm out for the Valkyrie's hand, but she froze half way, gasping in pain and biting her bottom lip. She had no choice but to press hard on her stomach with her hand. Half dried blood on her tank top stained her fingers.

It was then that Tamsin noticed that Bo had a bleeding wound on her lower abdomen. She didn't see it before because Bo's tank top color was too dark. She quickly stood up and lifted Bo's tank top carefully. She found a shallow yet long cut there. The sharp contrast between Bo's fair skin color and the color of the blood mixed with dirt immediately caught her eyes. Then she found a few other bleeding wounds on Bo's body. She also noticed that Bo's elbows and knees were bruised.

" Ok, who exactly did you mess with tonight?" Tamsin asked, staring at Bo.

" Some tough Valkyrie?"

" Svafa? No... she wouldn't dare hurt you... nor would any other Valkyrie... Unless your father ordered one to..." Tamsin murmured, frowning. Her eyes were still on Bo's face, trying to figure out if Bo was messing with her.

" Alright! it's Acacia, ok?" Bo said. She could tell how worried Tamsin was, and she didn't want to keep amped up like that any longer. She cupped Tamsin's face and said to her, " I'm fine. They're just some flesh wounds."

" Acacia did this?" Tamsin asked, while her eyes narrowed.

Bo sighed. " I asked her to train me, apparently, quote unquote, 'you are totally not warrior material, and I so shouldn't have said yes'."

" Yeah, I can totally see that." Tamsin said, " Why did you ask her to train you? If you just want to get your ass kicked, I'm all in."

" I thought maybe she could teach me a few tricks, to help me on the trial. I'm not...I'm not exactly warrior material. Hell, I'm totally not warrior material. I mean, I thought I was pretty bad ass, but look how many times you've dragged me outta troubles..."

" That has nothing to do with your battle skills. You are a trouble magnet." Tamsin said.

" Yeah, whatever. Anyway, she agreed to teach me as much as she could before the trial, so I'm gonna be like this for a couple of days."

" Oh great." Tamsin said, rolling her eyes at Bo, " You're probably gonna die before the trial..."

" We'll see." Bo said, " Maybe I'm tougher than you think."

Tamsin stared at her, as confident as the brunette sounded, she was not as tough as she thought, because she was apparently biting her lip because of her pain. Tamsin sighed. She stepped up and leaned over. Holding her breath, she laid her lips on Bo's lightly. It was the only thing on her mind right now, or, the entire day. She tried to convince herself it was nothing but a feeding kiss, because the succubus needed it right now. She waited for the succubus to draw her Chi out to heal herself, but Bo didn't do anything other than kiss her back.

" If this is my reward for training, I should definitely train more often..." Bo murmured. She was a little bit surprised that Tamsin kissed her first, but she absolutely had nothing to complain. Being exhausted, sore, and painful right now, a kiss from the blonde was the best thing she could hope for.

" I thought...emmm...you need to feed..." Tamsin said, pulling herself back and avoiding Bo's eyes. She felt a little bit embarrassed by the passionate stare given by Bo.

" Well, I was thinking that since we can't use our Fae powers during the trial, I should at least get used to healing on my own first." Bo said, " So, care to patch me up?"

" Then go get a shower first. You are spreading dirt and mud all over my place." Tamsin said.

" Are you gonna join me?" Bo teased her.

" No, because I need to find the fucking first aid kit for you." Tamsin said.

* * *

When Bo came out from the shower, she saw the Valkyrie sitting on the couch, with an open first aid kit box, and a bottle of vodka.

Bo let go of the towel, and let it pooled around her feet. She saw the blonde staring at her, then moved her eyes away. She went to sit down on the couch, leaning back a little bit, so the blonde could examine her.

Tamsin slowly ran her fingers on Bo's body, checking all the injuries. She was relieved to see the majority of them were very light. The one on Bo's stomach was long, but not deep at all, and it had already stopped bleeding. The soft, warm feeling from Bo's skin made her fingers move even slower. She suddenly didn't know if she was patching Bo up, or admiring her body. She had seen the brunette naked countless times before, and every time it was breathtaking. She could feel herself heating up just by looking at her.

When Tamsin moved up to take care the injury on Bo's forehead, she didn't even realize how close they were. She was practically breathing onto Bo's face. Bo smiled, and raised herself a little from the couch. Her lips touched Tamsin's. The brunette opened her lips a little, inviting her tongue in. Tamsin gave up after only a second or two, kissing her back. She put down the things in her hand, and laid her hands on Bo's shoulders. Bo nibbled her lips, cupping her face and pulling her closer for a deeper kiss.

Both of them had craved this too much. They moaned vaguely, kissing each other like they have never been kissed before. Bo sat up, pulling the blonde closer to her by grabbing her waist.

" I haven't...fucking finished...patching-" Tamsin murmured. Soon her words turned into moans when Bo moved her kisses down on her neck.

" It can totally wait..." Bo said, her words muffled by her gentle sucking on the blonde's skin.

Just when Bo was about to tear Tamsin's shirt open, her phone rang. At first they both chose to ignore it and continue what they were doing, but it wouldn't stop.

" Ahhh!" Bo growled in frustration and rage. She pressed her forehead against Tamsin's chest, breathing hard. " I'm so gonna kill whoever this is calling!" She took a glance at the caller ID and cursed, " Fuck! It's Dyson! Seriously, couldn't he just find a better time to call?!"

Bo took a deep breath and took the call. " Dyson, I swear to God you..."

" Bo, you need to get home, now." Dyson sounded very serious.

" What- why?" Bo asked. She could feel that something was wrong.

" We just got a 911 call. Someone reported a break in."

" And...?"

" It's at your house, Bo. Someone broke into your house."

" Are you serious? What did they take?"

" I don't know. That's why I need you here."

" Ok, I'm on my way." Bo said. She hung up and sighed. " Shit, I need to go home. Someone just broke into my place."

" What?" Tamsin said, " Someone broke into _your_ place? Why didn't they just break into a junk yard?"

Bo shot a glare at her. She stood up from the couch to get dressed, but then she realized that her clothes were all dirty and torn. Tamsin realized that too. She went to get some clothes for Bo. As Bo got dressed she could smell the vague scent of the Valkyrie on the clothes, and that instantly turned her on. Although, the next second she gasped in pain, because she moved too fast and stretched the injury on her stomach again. " I guess I do need to heal after all." Bo murmured.

Tamsin let out a deep breath. She lightly pressed her lips on Bo's, without saying anything. Bo savored her lips for a while, before she actually pulled any Chi out from Tamsin. All her injuries were gone after a few seconds of feeding, but she didn't want to stop the kiss, not just yet. She let out a few moans and gasps, before she leaned over and kissed the Valkyrie again. With her hands slowly caressing the Valkyrie's back, Bo ran her tongue gently on the blonde's bottom lip. She thought she could just kiss her like this forever, until finally the blonde broke the kiss.

" Come on, we need to go." Tamsin said. She inhaled hard, stopping herself from wanting more.

" Ok..." Bo said. She wanted to continue, but the way Dyson sounded on the phone had made her worry a little. Something was going on, and it was related to her.

* * *

When Bo and Tamsin got to her house, there were already a few police cars there. The lights lit up the empty, dark lot in front of her place. Dyson was there, checking everywhere. A few CSU people were dusting for prints and gathering evidence.

" Hey." Dyson greeted Bo when he saw her. Then he nodded to Tamsin. He noticed that Bo was wearing Tamsin's clothes and her hair was still wet. He was not sure if he should make any comments on that, so he didn't. Instead he said, " Go check your stuff, and tell me what's missing."

" Well, certainly not money, that I can tell you, 'cause we don't have any." Bo said, " Apparently they took Kenzi's laptop, which she's gonna be furious about. By the way, is Kenzi ok? She was not here when this happened, was she?"

" No, that I'm sure of." Dyson said, " She was at the Dal with the two Kitsunes. They had too much to drink and crashed in Trick's den when I left the Dal. I just called Trick like five minutes ago, and he said they were still there, safe and sound."

" Ok, that's good to know." Bo said, " Well, I don't see anything missing in the kitchen, unless a couple bottles of booze were missing. I can't tell anyway..."

" What about the living room? Notice anything different?" Dyson asked.

" No...well, he didn't take the TV, or the DVD player." Bo said.

" What about your bedroom, and Kenzi's?" Dyson accompanied Bo to go upstairs. Tamsin followed them.

" I don't see anything different..." Bo said, " Well, my jewelry box was opened..."

" Did he take anything?"

Bo checked her jewelry box, and shook her head, " No. Well, I mean, I'm not so sure. I do see all the pieces that I like to wear, but I don't even know how many pieces I have. A lot of impulse buys and I never looked at them twice."

" Ok, just let me know if you find anything then." Dyson said.

" Well, when you come here, did you notice anything?" Bo asked him.

" I do smell Fae, a very vague, light smell. I can't tell what type of Fae it is, but it's definitely not someone I know. Besides that...I don't know...it just looked like a breaking in to me, every cabinet door and every drawer was opened, things were swept down to the floor..." Dyson said, " I even found some dark feathers beside your bed, maybe fell out from your pillow or something."

" Feathers? No I am not using down pillows, or anything with feathers. I hate feather filled stuff, because they shed like crazy." Bo said.

" What?" Dyson was a little bit surprised, " If they were not from something here, it has to be from the thief then. I'll make sure the tech team run a test on those, see if they can provide any clues."

Bo nodded. Then she turned to Tamsin and asked, " Something on your mind?" She asked because she saw the blonde was standing there quietly with her eyebrows furrowed.

" Hmmm...You said every cabinet door and every drawer was opened, do you mean those in the kitchen included as well?" Tamsin asked Dyson, biting her finger nails.

" Yeah, well maybe one of two of them were closed, but most of them were opened. Why?"

" If I were to break in to steal something, why would I go to the kitchen? I would grab the laptop, yes, and maybe wallets, phones, anything valuable that I could carry. So it makes sense that they took the laptop, but not the TV because your TV is just too big and old, but why kitchen?" Tamsin said, " Also, the things on the kitchen counter top were swept down to the floor. If I were to break in to make money, why would I do that to waste my time?"

" So you don't think he's after anything valuable." Dyson said.

" If he is not after the money, what is he after?" Tamsin said.

" Maybe he's looking for something. Something that doesn't sell much in the market, but something in particular..." Dyson said.

" You think this is related to the Kitsune killer case? Maybe whoever broke in was looking for Casey?"

" And what? He didn't find her so he got pissed off and trashed your place?" Tamsin said.

" Maybe he made it look like a break in, so we wouldn't figure out what he really is after?" Bo said.

" Could be. Or it could be totally unrelated to the Kitsune killer case. With the job you do, you have a lot of enemies out there, Bo." Dyson said, looking at her worried.

" Yeah, I know. Well, just in case, I'm gonna call Trick and tell him to chain those fox bitches and Kenzi at his place till we are back from the Valkyrie trial thing."

" I'll keep an eye on them." Dyson said, " I guess it's time for me to wrap this up and leave. The evidence needs to be processed anyway. I'll let you know if we find anything."

" Ok." Bo nodded. She sat on her bed, a little frustrated, because she didn't know what was going on right now. She heard Dyson leave with the rest of the police force.

" See, trouble magnet." Tamsin said, nodding at Bo.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Both the Kistune killer case and the breaking in case investigation were going nowhere, while Bo received her training from Acacia from dawn till midnight everyday. Mostly Acacia trained her in the mountains, or in the woods. The elder Valkyrie was a very strict teacher, and she seemed to care very little about Bo getting hurt.

" Alright, let's take a break." Acacia said to Bo after she struck Bo down to the ground for the fourth time. She gave Bo a hand, pulling her up. Bo couldn't stand up straight. She felt her legs shaking, and her muscles were sore. She could barely hold her dagger. She moaned in pain, walking to Acacia. She sat down on the back of Acacia's truck, and took a can of beer the elder Valkyrie just handed to her. She opened it and started to drink. The cold beer made her moan in satisfaction.

Bo felt that she just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. She stared at the sky. The moon was so bright, and the stars were like scattered diamond on a piece of dark blue velvet.

" So." Acacia said, " Regretting the bond yet?"

" Huh? Regretting? No, no, I am not. Why?" Bo said. She was not sure what Acacia was referring to.

" Because apparently when you two bonded, it wasn't exactly the best moment to make a big decision like that?"

" Oh...yeah...well, I mean..." Bo muttered. She paused for a while, before she continued, " I mean, it was the only thing I could do for her..."

Acacia raised her eyebrows, and nodded. Then she finished her beer and squeezed the can.

" Have you...emmm...have you ever considered bonding with anyone before?" Bo asked. She immediately realized that it was probably too personal a question for her to ask, but she couldn't take it back, so she just waited for Acacia's answer.

Acacia turned away. She was gazing at the bright moon. After a while, she turned back to Bo and said, " Considered, yes."

" But you didn't bond, why?" Bo asked.

Acacia was a little bit startled by how straightforward Bo was. She thought for a while, trying to find an appropriate answer for Bo's question. Then she said, " I guess I was just not that dumb as Tamsin. I wasn't ready to give up everything to face Odin's wrath, just for a human warrior." She paused for a long time, then added, " That and I thought, hell, it was not like he was going to disappear forever, I still got to see him from time to time in Valhalla."

" Do you still see him in Valhalla?"

" Yep. Now he's just another warrior soul, among the other souls." Acacia said, " Once a falcon is caged, a lot things will change."

" This man...do you...emmm...do you love him?" Bo asked. She almost didn't let her question out, but seeing the sorrowful look in Acacia's eyes, she knew she had to.

" I don't fucking know." Acacia said, opening another can of beer, " The only thing I knew was when I rode the horse in the battle field by his side, we were so close, like we were one. It felt like we were soaring in the sky, and we just had each other. But love? Hell, I am made to kill, not to love." Acacia said. She then huffed out a light laugh, as if she was a little ashamed of what she had just said. She looked at Bo, and said, " I take it that you asked means you are in love with that bitch."

Bo choked on her beer. She coughed loudly, and spilled half of the can on her pants. She admitted in silence. This thing had been hovering around in her mind for weeks now, and she had finally admitted to someone else, and herself, that she was in love with Tamsin. The warming feeling filled her heart when she thought about her, with cravings she couldn't fully understand. Every minute, every second of everyday, she was thinking about her, one way or the other. Just like right now, she was thinking about her.

" You tell her yet?" Acacia asked Bo, gazing at the mountains far, far away, with her eyes narrowed.

Bo shook her head. She sighed. _Why haven't I told her yet?_ She asked herself. She knew she was always straightforward on expressing her feelings, because she knew she would never be turned down by anyone. In fact, people threw themselves to her like moths to a flame, and she just took it for granted. She was a succubus, and people just fell for her charms, even if she didn't really charm them using her ability. Lauren fell for her at the first sight, and so did Dyson. And she really loved them, she really did, but what made them fall for her, tore them away from her. Her succubus nature. She was just afraid that she would screw things up with Tamsin once she stepped forward on her feelings, just like she had before. She knew the Valkyrie was not going anywhere, because they were bonded forever now, but since she was not going anywhere no matter what, it would be so fucked up if she screwed thing up between them. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she broke the Valkyrie's heart, just like she had with the others. Bo closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. " I guess I'm not made for love either." She murmured, smiling bitterly, at her ironic statement.

Acacia stared at her. She knew Bo was struggling in something, but she wasn't sure what it was. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head. " Alright. Too much girly talk already. Let's do this again." Acacia said as she stood up, throwing Bo a blade.

* * *

It didn't take long for Bo to be knocked down on the ground again. She groaned in frustration and tried to get up, but she couldn't. Then she heard a voice coming from behind.

" So you were telling the truth about getting your ass kicked." Tamsin's voice was full of mocking, with a hint of concern. She stood right in front of Bo, looking at her from above.

" What are you doing here, bitch?" Acacia asked Tamsin as she threw her a can of beer.

" Just here to see the succubus getting her ass kicked." Tamsin said to Acacia, with her eyes staring at Bo. She couldn't help but let a smile appear on her face. Bo rolled her eyes at her. She finally managed to get up, with her both hands on her knees and her body bent, she was trying to catch her breath.

" How did you find me?" Bo asked her.

" Well, I know Acacia, and I know just about enough of her favorite spots to train a rookie like you." Tamsin said.

" Great, any tips?"

" Three words maybe. Practice, practice, and practice." Tamsin said.

Acacia watched them talking. She could tell that Bo would not be able to do any fighting training anymore tonight, so she said, " Ok, I think you've had enough training for tonight. Let's try one last task." She took a small amulet out from her pocket and showed it to Bo. Tamsin chuckled when she saw that. Bo was confused, she turned her head to face Tamsin, but before she could ask, she saw Acacia swing her arm and throw the amulet away.

" What are you-"

" Now I need you to find it for me." Acacia said.

" What- how the hell am I gonna find it in the woods at this time of night?" Bo exclaimed.

Acacia shook her head. She didn't even bother to answer Bo. Instead, she looked at Tamsin, indicating that she should explain to Bo.

" Ok, why don't I just give you some clues. One, do you remember which direction she threw it?" Tamsin said, looking at Bo with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

" Yeah, sort of." Bo said. She was not sure where this conversation was going.

" Then I suggest you start from there."

" But-"

" Two, when it fell, it hit something. Did it sound like it hit a tree or a rock? Or did it fall into some leaves or into the water?"

" Oh..."

" Three, the moonlight is actually very bright right now. You should be able to see just about anything on the ground, even without any clues." Tamsin said, " Now go."

Bo shook her head. " Well, if I don't come back in an hour, please, come look for me."

" I'm sure I'll come to rescue your cute little ass, if I get bored." Tamsin said, sitting down beside Acacia. She heard Bo walking away, and it went quiet again.

" I thought she'd disappoint you by now." Tamsin said to Acacia.

" Believe me, bitch is totally no warrior material. She's a succubus, not a Valkyrie. She is made to seduce, not to fight." Acacia said, throwing her empty can away into the back of her pickup.

" Yeah, you got that part right." Tamsin said, downing her beer.

Acacia turned around and stared at her. She opened another beer, starting to drink as she thought about something. Then she said, " And sometimes she's just so stubborn and naive, that makes me want to kick her ass."

" The feeling is mutual." Tamsin said.

" So, have you talked about your feelings with her yet?" Acacia asked.

Tamsin was caught off guard. She almost choked. She coughed hard and said, " Since when do we talk about things like _feelings_?"

" Since never. My point is, sort your shit out, communicate, talk, before you two step in the fucking trial. You know how brutal it can be. Any uncertainty between you two could potentially jeopardize the chances of you coming out alive."

" We'll be...fine." Tamsin said, looking down at the ground. Then she raised her head and smiled at Acacia, " Hey, worse case scenario, she and I died together, right?"

" Well, not that I think you two will come back out alive for sure, but if there is this teeny tiny little chance that anyone could complete that trial, two is always better than one."

" Oh you have no idea." Tamsin downed the last bit of her drink, her eyebrows raised, " That bitch is a trouble magnet. Do you know how many times I have to save her ass because she throws herself into someone else's problems willingly?"

" Gee, I was just wondering why you fell so hard for her."

Tamsin almost choked again. " It's just the heat of the moment." She said, " We've all had that before. We crush on someone, and then later we move on."

Acacia sneered. " Don't bullshit me. You don't give up your life for someone just for a fucking heat of the moment. You don't defy the fucking God for a stupid crush."

Tamsin rolled her eyes. " What do you want me to say? Yes, I fell for her, hard. I'd die for her. I'll do anything for her. She's a fucking succubus. People just fall in love with her like that, ok?"

" She's not the first sex demon you've encountered, and you haven't choked before."

Tamsin took a deep breath. She raised her head, staring at the pale moon for a while, then said, " She's...She's not...Fuck, can we stop talking about this shit right now? I didn't come here to talk about my feelings..."

" Then why did you come here? Because you are worried about her? Or because you want to see her?"

Tamsin didn't answer. She blushed and turned her head away. Acacia rolled her eyes, and she stopped talking. She had known Tamsin long enough to understand that the young Valkyrie was still in denial of her strong feelings for the succubus. And being a Valkyrie, she also knew it was their nature to run away from someone they had developed a strong emotional connection, because this someone could become their weakness someday. She could tell that Tamsin was probably terrified of how much she felt for the brunette, because it was not in a Valkyrie's nature to love and to care. They were raised to be soldiers, killers, and warriors. They were taught to slaughter, to fight, and to destroy. They were told that any feelings for anyone else were dangerous, meaningless and weak, and _Love will get you killed_. By the look on Tamsin's face, Acacia knew that she was struggling hard inside her mind, torn between to let herself fall completely, or to convince herself that it was no big deal what she was feeling.

" It's a beautiful night. I think I'll drive around the mountains and enjoy the cool breeze." Acacia said. She stood up and cleaned the back of her truck a little bit.

" Aren't you supposed to wait for her to come back or something?"

" That's her last assignment today, and if she finds the amulet, she passed. If not, we'll do that again tomorrow." Acacia said, " I've been here for too long today."

Tamsin watched the elder Valkyrie drive away. She just stood there for a few minutes, before she heard someone passing through the woods and coming towards her.

Bo appeared in front of her, leaning against a tree. She looked exhausted, but with a smile on her face. She raised her right hand, and showed Tamsin the amulet. A joyful feeling suddenly occupied Tamsin's heart. She knew she had felt that before, in Brazenwood, when Bo killed her opponent. And just like what had happened there, she ran to the brunette before she justified her move. She kissed the brunette, cupping her face.

" Wow, if I knew this was what I get for completing the training today..." Bo murmured during the kiss. She caressed Tamsin's arms as they kissed. The night wind was cool, almost cold, but her skin was burning.

Tamsin pulled herself away after a few seconds, as if she had finally realized that it was not something she should have done. " We...emmm...probably should go home." She said, cursing in her heart because she had lost control over herself again.

" Can I stay with you before the trial?" Bo asked. She didn't want to get turned down by the blonde, so she quickly added, " I mean, my place is technically a crime scene now, and Kenzi is at Trick's anyway..."

" Whatever. Like if I say no, you would just go away..." Tamsin said, turning away from Bo and heading to her car. Being with Bo for the entire time before the trial? She started to feel that her control over herself would be shattered soon, but she could never turned down such a request from Bo.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I love you guys so much!**

**I'm leaving for the holiday weekend soon, so I probably won't be able to do any updates for the next 2-3 days. I'll update it as soon as I get a chance. Hope everyone has a good weekend :)**

**BTW, BSwifty1997 is asking about who else knows about the bond in the review, I thought I should probably explain it here a little so everyone would know. Basically at first it's just Trick, Acacia and Dyson, and the other Valkyries because they were there when they bonded. So the news started to spread then, and more and more people are aware of it now, which I'll explain a little in future chapters. **


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Tamsin drove back to her apartment, with Bo on the passenger seat. Neither of them said much on the way. Tamsin was still trying to process the fact that the succubus was going to stay with her the entire time before the trial. Bo was just too exhausted to talk.

Bo fell asleep on the way, with her right hand pressing lightly on her stomach, as if that part of her was hurting. Tamsin was a little bit worried. She pulled over on the side of the road and checked the succubus, just wanted to make sure she was not injured too badly. She was relieved to find that there were no major injuries, and the brunette was just too tired. When Tamsin lifted her clothes, the succubus opened her eyes for a little, murmuring something. She lightly held Tamsin's hand in hers and fell back to sleep again. She didn't let her hand go.

Tamsin had to start driving again, with one of Bo's hands in hers. It was a long way home, and it was just Bo and her in her truck. The scent of the brunette filled up the space, along with the sound of her steady breath. Somehow, Tamsin felt like she never wanted this journey to stop,

Tamsin eventually pulled over in front of her apartment building. She leaned over and tapped Bo's face, trying to wake her up. Bo moaned lightly, rubbing her face against Tamsin's palm.

" Hey, wake up, succulet, we're home." Tamsin said to her, shaking her lightly.

Bo opened her eyes. At first she was totally confused, not knowing what was going on or where she was, but slowly her senses came back to her and she woke up. " Shit, I feel like I've been run over by a herd of bulls..." Bo said, slowly moving herself out of the car.

" Need a little help over there?" Tamsin asked, standing a foot or two away from Bo.

" I think I'm ok..." Bo said. Every step she took, there was a part of her hurting. She had to clench her teeth to stop groaning in pain.

* * *

" You...emmm...you need to heal?" Tamsin asked Bo after she closed the door behind her. The succubus was sitting on the floor, in front of her couch, with her head tilted back and her eyes closed.

" Oh what the hell, screw the getting-used-to-healing-like-humans shit. I need some fucking healing." Bo said. She used the last bit of her strength to stand up. Pulling the Valkyrie closer to her, she crashed her lips on hers. As Tamsin's Chi flew to her, the soreness and pain in her body vanished. Although she had healed by Tamsin's Chi multiple times, she was still impressed by how strong it was and how fast it could heal her.

Bo didn't want to break the kiss, even though she knew she was fully recovered. The blonde's lips were just too sweet to let go. She tucked her tongue in between the blonde's lips, seeking for hers. Her hunger spiked inside her, making her blood boil and her mind slow. She tore the Valkyrie's shirt open and peeled it off her. Tamsin grabbed her hands before they moved down to her jeans. " You need a shower first..." She said, suppressing her own desire for Bo by pulling herself away a little bit.

" Ok..." Bo pulled Tamsin closer and kiss her again. She started to move towards the bathroom, with the blonde in her arms.

" I am not taking-"

" Yes you fucking are..." Bo interrupted whatever the blonde was trying to say, and pulled her jeans off with her underwear. Tamsin almost tripped on her own pants. She had to take them off before the succubus made more moves on her.

As soon as they were both standing under the running hot water, Bo pinned Tamsin to the wall by pressing both of her wrists against the wall. She stared at the Valkyrie for a while, enjoying the view. She saw the water running down on the blonde's fair skin, and her blonde hair were all messy and wet, sticking to her face and her back. Then her eyes fell on the Valkyrie's half opened lips. They were inviting her, and the Valkyrie had already closed her eyes. Bo inhaled hard and pressed her lips on Tamsin's. The Valkyrie kissed her back, tapping her lips with the tip of her tongue.

Bo moaned, moving her lips away from Tamsin's. She nibbled her chin, licking the soft skin of hers with her tongue. Then she moved her tongue down, as if she was trying to draw the blonde's silhouette with it. When she reached the blonde's breasts, the blonde finally moaned out loud with both of her hands fisting tight.

Bo peeked at the blonde with a smiled on her face because she saw how much the blonde loved this. She took her nipples in her mouth and sucked them until they became sore and tender. The Valkyrie couldn't contain her moans anymore. Every time Bo flicked her tongue on them, the blonde trembled.

Bo slowly kneeled down, circling her tongue on the blonde's belly. She could feel how tensed up the blonde was right now, waiting for her to go down on her. Bo traced her tongue down, and heard the blonde panting. She smiled, stopping right above where the blonde wanted her to be. The blonde moaned in frustration, but she didn't say a word. Bo spread the blonde's legs, caressing her core with her finger. She chuckled when she felt how wet the blonde had already got. Bo caressed her clit lightly, the moment she touched it, the blonde moaned out loud and threw her head back. Before she could ask for more, Bo pressed her lips on her core. Gently sucking the blonde's clit, Bo caressed her entrance with her fingers. She circled her tongue around her clit, pushing her higher and higher. Right when the blonde was about to orgasm, she slammed her finger into her, as hard as she could. Tamsin screamed. She could feel herself throbbing on Bo's hot tongue. Just thinking of it, almost made her come again.

Bo stood up, pressing her lips on Tamsin's. Tamsin tasted herself on her lips, which made her blush like crazy, as well as turned her on.

" God you are sweet..." Bo whispered to her ears, holding her tight with one of her arms. She squeezed her thigh in between Tamsin's legs, grinding herself against the blonde. Her palm pressing firmly on the blonde's core, she thrust into her deeper. She caressed Tamsin's sweet spot with the tips of her fingers, not too fast to give the blonde a release just yet, but enough to make her want more.

" Shit...Bo, stop...fucking teasing..." Tamsin murmured, clenching her teeth tight. She was so close, and every cell of her body was screaming for release.

Bo chuckled, giving her a few hard, deep thrusts, then slowed down again. She enjoyed the view she was having right now. The blonde was all turned on and blushed for her, and she was grinding her hips against her fingers. She bit her lips hard with her eyes closed, trying everything she could not to give in.

" Just tell me what you need..." Bo whispered to the blonde beside her ear.

" You...know...what I fucking...need..." Tamsin stared at her. All she needed right now was the succubus to fuck her hard, yet the succubus was still teasing her.

" Hmmm... I'm actually not so sure..." Bo said, giggling. The Valkyrie was always so uptight during sex, and she just wanted her to lose control for her at least once. She slowly ran her fingers across the blonde's sweet spot again. The blonde quivered in her arms again.

" Fuck...shit...Bo...I need...I want you...to fuck me hard...to make me come..." Tamsin whispered to Bo's ears, grabbing Bo's waist to support herself. She could hard speak, all her attention was focusing on getting off.

" Your honesty will be rewarded..." Bo whispered. She slammed her fingers deep inside the blonde, with her thumb rubbing her clit at the same time. The blonde almost immediately tightened around her, with loud screams escaping from her mouth. She screamed Bo's name in between her hard gasps and loud moans. Her mouth opened wide, inhaling. Her forehead pressed against Bo's shoulder hard. Bo sent out some of the charms through her finger tips, pushing the blonde even higher.

" No, fucking...no...not now, Bo..." Tamsin squeezed her word out between her clenched teeth. The pure ecstasy went right though her body and into her brain, wiping every bit of her thoughts blank. She couldn't feel her legs. She couldn't feel anything. The only thing she could feel was the long, strong orgasm she was having right now.

Bo held the blonde tight. She slowed down after she knew the blonde couldn't handle more, letting her fall slowly. The Valkyrie crashed into her arm, gasping hard. Bo pulled her fingers out from the blonde, giving her more quivers. She licked them right in front of Tamsin's eyes. " God you are sweet as hell..." She whispered, with her tongue slowly running up and down on her own fingers.

Like flipping a switch, Tamsin grabbed Bo's waist and spun her around to pin her on the wall. " Bitch, you are so fucking dead..." She cursed, while she was still trying to catch her breath. With her eyes locked on Bo's lips, she lowered her head and kissed them hard. Bo moaned, pulling her closer. Then she felt Tamsin's hand sliding in between her legs. She arched her back away from the wall to get closer to the blonde's hand. Watching the blonde orgasming in her arms, she never felt she was turned on like before. She just needed a quick, hard release.

Tamsin wasted no time plunging her fingers inside Bo, with her thumb caressing her clit. She could feel how badly Bo wanted this, by how wet she felt on her fingers. She wanted to tease her, but she just didn't have that much strength, after her own orgasms. She thrust into Bo as hard and fast as she could, thumbing her clit till it swelled. Seconds later a loud scream burst out from Bo's chest. She threw her head back and hit the wall, but she felt no pain. All her attentions were drawn to the extreme pleasure she was having right now. Two orgasms from two different spots of hers hit her at the same time, and it was almost too much for her to handle. She eventually crashed into the blonde's arms, with her finger nails digging into the blonde's back.

They stayed in the shower for a while, sharing a light, sweet kiss.

* * *

Bo laid a kiss on the blonde's lips as she slid herself under the blanket with her. She put her arms around the blonde and held her tight. The blonde let out a light sigh, and buried herself closer to Bo.

" Got something on your mind?" Bo asked the blonde. She knew the blonde was still awake, but she was not talking, which usually means that she had something on her mind.

" Nothing." Tamsin replied. _Just you._ She said it to herself. _Just you_.

" Ok then." Bo murmured, caressing the blonde's hair gently. Both of them chose silence over conversation, because both of them dwelt in their own train of thoughts.

_Shall I tell her?_ Bo asked herself. _Shall I tell her that I'm in love with her?_ Never before in her whole life had she felt that this simple word was so hard to say. She almost blurted it out, but that word just hovered on the tip of her tongue before she finally swallowed it back. She didn't even know what she was afraid of now, maybe because she had never succeeded in a relationship, maybe because it felt so awesome right now that she didn't want to risk changing anything, or maybe, she was just afraid because the blonde might not feel the same for her_. _She knew Tamsin had feelings for her, because had she not, they couldn't have bonded successfully._ But what if it was just because I am a succubus?_ Bo thought to herself. _What if it was just because the stupid charm?_

Bo sighed. She held the blonde tighter in her arms. _Maybe I should just wait for the right time_. She said to herself, and decided to dodge the problem for now.

Tamsin heard Bo sighing, then she felt the grip on her waist get tighter. The succubus buried herself closer to her. There they were, cuddling in bed again. Tamsin let out a deep breath, and thought, _Shall I tell her that I'm in love with her?_ She immediately shook her head. She thought that there was no point to tell Bo about it, because nothing would change. She would still be desperately in love with her, and saying it out loud would not make it less, or herself less terrified by it. She wasn't looking for anything in return from the brunette anyway. All she had ever wanted, and all she needed, was to be with the succubus, and she was with her right now. It was already more than enough that she got to lie beside Bo every night, and cuddle with her like this, with her hand caressing her back. She shouldn't be expecting anything more from the succubus, like her love. She didn't even know succubi were able to love anyone anyway._ Hell, neither of us is made for this fucking love shit. She's a damn sex demon, and I am a war machine. _Tamsin thought to herself, _Why fucking bother to talk about it at all?_

Tamsin slowly moved her hand down to find Bo's. The brunette immediately grabbed her hand in hers, and interlocked her fingers with hers.

_I just want to be close to you._ Both of them whispered quietly inside their hearts, right before they fell asleep.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

" Do you know there are over one hundred different kinds of fucking wild berries, and some of them are deadly poisonous, but you can't really tell from their looks?" Bo said to Tamsin as she was reading the books she borrowed from Trick. They were both sitting on Tamsin's bed. Bo was reading, while the blonde was polishing her sword.

" I thought everyone should have known that." Tamsin said, smirking.

" I'll never remember all this shit!" Bo exclaimed, throwing the book to the floor. She lay down on the bed, feeling frustrated.

" And lucky for you, I do know all this shit." Tamsin said.

" Yeah, but what if you are in a coma, and I need to do something for you?"

" Oh, sweetheart, believe me. If I am in a coma, you'd be dead long time before that." Tamsin stared at Bo, with a mocking smile on her face. " No more trainings from Acacia today? Or she just finally got tired of you and kicked you out?"

" She said it's the last day before the trial, so I should just get some rest, and clear my head, blah blah blah." Bo said.

" Well, enjoy your day off then. I need to go to work now." Tamsin said as she put down the sword in her hand. She stood up and got changed. Bo stared at her the whole time. The morning sun shined on Tamsin's body, giving her a smooth, warm gloss. Bo thought it looked too beautiful to be real, yet the blonde was standing right in front of her. Her craving for her was back, and she had to clear her throat and turn away. " Maybe you should take a day off, you know. Maybe you need to get some rest too." Bo said, trying to hide the fact that she didn't want the blonde to leave. Then she thought about what Acacia had told her about how Valkyries normally dealt with the days before their trial, they would try everything they could to have fun because they might not come back. _Maybe we should do that too._ Bo thought, and she was about to give in to the spiking craving of hers for the blonde.

Tamsin stared at her, eyebrows raised. It was a little bit surprised to her that the brunette was hungry for her suddenly. Before she could say anything, her phone beeped. She checked her text and said, " I would if I could, succubus. It's Dyson. There's a dead body waiting for me."

" Can I tag along?" Bo asked.

" Are you sure? I thought you need to cram."

" Oh hell, I'm so done with the different types of berries, and I haven't even started on the mushroom part yet!" Bo rolled off the bed and got dressed.

* * *

Bo saw Dyson getting out his car when Tamsin and she arrived at the crime scene, an abandoned building.

" Wow, it looks a lot like your place." Tamsin said to Bo when she pulled over right outside the factory gate.

Bo rolled her eyes at the blonde. The blonde had a smirk on her face, and she was leaning close to Bo. A mischievous smile appeared on Bo's face. She leaned over and laid a kiss on the blonde's lips. Then she laughed inside, while enjoying the embarrassed look on the Valkyrie's face. She got out of the truck and walked to Dyson.

" Hey, didn't expect to see you here." Dyson saidto her.

" Yeah...thought I might be able to help." Bo said. She saw the Valkyrie walk towards them, with both of her hands tucked in her jacket pockets.

" Where's the body?" Tamsin asked Dyson.

" Inside." Dyson pointed at the factory gate.

" Then what are you two waiting for?" Tamsin smirked at them, before she walked in.

* * *

A dead male was lying face down on the floor inside the factory. He was behind a bunch of old, abandoned factory equipment, only his legs were visible from the entrance. Dyson turned him around so they could examine him.

The first thing Bo noticed was the warm smile on his face, as if he had died while experiencing something happy. Other than that, he just looked like any normal guy in their early twenties. Both his hair and his beard were carefully trimmed, and his cologne was still in the air. There was no visible trauma. He didn't have any bruises on him. It almost looked like he was asleep, except his eyes were open and filled with fear.

" No IDs. Nothing." Dyson said after searching every pocket on him.

" Yeah, well, let's run his face in the database, see if we get a match or something." Tamsin said, " Do we have any eye witnesses?"

" Yeah. The one who found the body and called 911 a couple of hours ago. He's outside." Dyson said.

" I can talk to him, if you two don't mind." Bo said.

" Sure." Dyson nodded to her. He watched Bo walk out, then he turned back to Tamsin and said, " I heard tomorrow is your rebirth trial?"

" Yeah, tomorrow." Tamsin nodded, " So, need you to cover me for a couple of days, I guess."

" Sure thing, partner." Dyson nodded, " Bo is going with you, right?"

" Yeah, bitch's coming with me. Couldn't get rid of her even if I wanted to."

" You two will be fine." Dyson said, " I wish I could help."

" Help how? Like offering yourself as a hand in her Dawning, knowing you were not coming back out alive?" Tamsin said.

" Hey, we all did stupid things for love at least for once."

" That we all do..." Tamsin murmured. She turned her eyes back to the dead body, and heard Dyson asking, " What do you think about this? Can you hear anything from him?"

" No, not really. It sounds like...white noise. I can't really get anything useful from it." Tamsin said, frowning. She leaned down to the body, trying to concentrate on what she was hearing. " I think he said something about _liar_...it's just too vague. Is he Fae or human?"

" Fae, definitely Fae, and...his smell is...damn I can't tell, his cologne is a little bit too strong." Dyson said.

" I guess you'll have to wait for the coroner to wash him up." Tamsin said, " Since he wasn't carrying anything, maybe it was just a mugging went wrong."

" But why would a kid like him come to a place like this in the first place?"

" No idea. Maybe he was here to buy some drugs or something." Tamsin said. Then she noticed something. She opened the clenched fingers of the victim's right hand and said, " Look, he had a few cuts on his fingers, and they look fresh." She pointed tout he minor cuts on his thumb and index finger to Dyson. They were so small that she almost missed them. They looked fresh, like they had just stopped bleeding.

" Looks like he cut himself on something right before he died."

" Or, could be right after he died." Tamsin said. She stood up, waving her arms in the air to show Dyson the movements the victim could have done before his death. " He fell off over here, no signs of struggle, maybe he knew the killer...then something cut his fingers, because I didn't see any blood anywhere but a drop of two right beneath his hand on the floor. And look at how the blood dripped off, if he was standing when he was injured, it would not be like this." Then Tamsin frowned. She crouched down and checked the body closely again, and said, " It almost looks to me like someone dragged out something that he was holding tightly, and it cut him..."

" You think the killer took something from his hand after he killed him?"

" Maybe it was the thing the killer was after..." Tamsin said, " I don't know. The look on his face...that smile...If Bo wasn't with me last night, I'd probably be telling you that she did it right now. It just looks a lot like a succubus feeding went wrong." She was completely immersed in the case solving, and she didn't even realized that she told Dyson Bo was with her last night, till she saw the mocking look on Dyson's face.

" I see you two are getting close." Dyson said, trying hard not to laugh.

" It's the fucking bond. Screwed every fucking thing up." Tamsin said.

" I think it's more than that, but, if you believe what you told yourself..." Dyson said. He was going to continue, but he stopped when he saw Bo coming in.

" Hey, I just talked to the witness. He said he saw a man leaving the scene. He's with the sketch artist right now. He thinks that he can give a good enough description to let us ID this guy."

" Yeah, well, don't get your hopes too high, sweetheart. Nine out of ten times, the witness gives a misleading description." Tamsin said.

" Why do you always have to be so negative?" Bo asked her, frowning.

" Why do you always have to be so optimistic?" Tamsin retorted.

" Ok, ok. You two, stop. We are at a crime scene. We should be discussing the case, not your life attitude."

" Fine. You two find anything?" Bo asked.

" Not really. We were just talking about...how the killing looks like one of your feeding accidents." Dyson said.

" What?" Bo exclaimed. Then she thought about it, while looking at the expression on the victim's face. " Well, I got to say, it's definitely not me, but it does look like my feeding went wrong...You think there's another succubus in town?"

" Could be." Dyson said, " I'll talk to my sources, see if anyone has heard about any new succubi lately."

Bo stared at the body. She frowned. There was something off about this case, and her guts were telling her it was something far more than just a random killing. She could almost feel something crawling under her skin. She examined the body closely, then she noticed something. She reached her fingers out and picked a small feather off the victim's hair. It was the same color as the victim's hair, both were dark. With the dim lights inside the room, it was almost impossible to see.

Bo showed it to Dyson and Tamsin. She frowned and said, " Is it just me, or is this the same type of feather we found at my place, the night of the break in happened?"

Dyson took his phone out, and compared it with the crime scene photos he had stored on it. " Well, without analysis, I can't say for sure, but they do look alike. But you are not seriously suggesting..."

" Call me crazy, but, what if the one who broke into my place killed this guy..." Bo said, " I mean, isn't that the only reasonable explanation for the feather?"

" I'll look into it." Dyson said, " I'll call you, if anything pops up."

* * *

It was already passed dinner time when Bo and Tamsin got home. For a moment Bo just sat on Tamsin's couch, watching the blonde reading her case files. The blonde was concentrating on her case, as if she was just gonna go to work tomorrow instead of to a life and death situation.

After a while, Tamsin raised her head, and her blue eyes met Bo's curious brown. She raised her eyebrows, like she was asking Bo what the fuck she was looking at.

" Do you always spend you last night before the rebirth trial reading case files?" Bo asked.

" No, being a cop is not the only job I've ever done, ok?" Tamsin said.

" So what do you usually do before your trial?"

" Nothing." Tamsin shrugged.

" Acacia told me...emmm...Valkyries normally have as much fun as they can before the trial, because-"

" Look, if you want to have some drinks, they are right in the kitchen. But not for me, not today."

" Wow, this is the first time I've ever heard you turn down drinks. Are you ok?"

" I don't want to wake up with a hangover headache during my trial, ok? Besides, for the first time, it's not only my own ass on the line here..." Tamsin said. Then she realized she had not been drunk for days. With the succubus by her side, with her soft touches, warm kisses, and light whispers, alcohol never comforted her anywhere near as much as the woman sitting next to her.

" Ok, I'll keep sober too." Bo said.

" Don't you have some books to read or something?" Tamsin asked her without raising her head from the case files. She could feel the brunette's stare on her, and it felt a little bit awkward.

" Yeah, I guess..." Bo rolled her eyes. She went to pick up the books from the bedroom. She didn't really want to think about how little she had learned, and how much she had not.

* * *

" I'm so not made for this shit!" Bo exclaimed. After reading for an hour or two, she put down the book frustrated. She heard the Valkyrie huff out a light laugh, as if she was agreeing with her too. " Damn, I guess if you had a choice back then, you probably wouldn't have bonded with me... Hell, I wouldn't even bond with myself." Bo murmured, leaning back with her eyes closed.

Tamsin raised her head, turning to Bo's side. At first she thought Bo was joking, but by the look on Bo's face, she knew the succubus was speaking the truth. Tamsin sighed. " No, I wouldn't have, but it is not because you suck at this." She said to Bo.

Bo looked at the blonde. The Valkyrie was frowning a little, with a serious look on her face. It was the exact same look she had given Bo when she was in her bathtub, telling her that to her she was perfect. She was leaning close to her that day, just like what she was doing right now. Tamsin grabbed the side of the couch and leaned close to Bo, her eyebrows furrowed a little, and her lips clenched. She let out a deep breath, and put a lock of Bo's hair behind her ear. " I wouldn't have bonded with you, if I had a choice, only because I don't want put you in danger, whenever I'm in danger, like my rebirth trial."

" You know I'll help you no matter what, right?"

" I am fully aware of your stupidity." Tamsin smirked, "Look, during the trial, just stay close to me, and try to stay alive. And don't throw yourself into danger, for...anyone, ok?"

Bo smiled. She stayed quiet for a while, just before she was about to say something, Tamsin's phone rang.

" It's Dyson." Tamsin said to Bo. Bo nodded. Tamsin put the wolf on speaker.

" What's up, Dyson? If you want help in a bar fight, I'll have to say no today..." Tamsin said to him.

" No, I'm still in the precinct, processing the stuff related to the murder case we have today." Dyson said, " Our sketch artist finished the drawing, and guess who is it?"

" Anyone we know?" Tamsin asked.

" Technically, no, but we've all seen him, today." Dyson said.

" What are you talking about?"

" According to the description of the eyewitness, the man who ran away from the crime scene right before he called 911 looked just like our victim. And the eyewitness was in fact high back then..."

" Damn, I'm just so not surprised. I guess he probably mixed up the victim's face, and the man who fled the scene, in his mind. Or maybe there was no man at all." Tamsin said.

" Well, anyway, this trail is cold I guess. We still don't have a match on the ID of the victim..." Dyson said.

" Just keep us posted." Tamsin said. Then she hung up her phone.

Bo sighed, but she knew she should no be worrying about some murder case right now. They had a big day tomorrow, for Tamsin's rebirth trial.

Tamsin looked at the time on her phone, and closed the file folder for her case files. She turned to face Bo, hesitating. Then she said, " You...emmm...you probably should fully feed tonight...so..."

Bo chuckled. It looked to her that it took a lot of courage for the blonde to spit that out. She took Tamsin's hand in hers and said, " You don't have to use that as an excuse every time you want to make out or something..."

The blonde shot a cold stare at her, but she blushed a little.

Bo smiled. She didn't say anything else, except to kiss the blonde on her lips. The blonde quivered lightly when their lips met. She was waiting for her Chi to be pulled out from her, but the succubus was just kissing her. Her lips were so sweet, that Tamsin drowned in them in seconds. She unconsciously cupped Bo's face, caressing her jaw line slowly with her fingers. Then she moved her fingers down to Bo's neck. She ran her thumb on the brunette's collar bone, and heard the succubus let out a few vague moans.

It didn't take long before Tamsin topped Bo on the couch. The succubus was staring at her, with a warm smile on her face, and her hands caressing Tamsin's cheek. Tamsin lifted Bo's tank top, and Bo pulled it off over her head. Tamsin lowered her head and kissed Bo again, with her hand behind her back, trying to unhook her bra. Bo arched away from the couch, partly for the passionate kiss, partly for letting the blonde take off her bra. She heard her bra fly away and hit something, and she giggled. Then she felt her pants get pulled off. The blonde's hand was slowly moving up from her thigh. Bo fisted the pillow tightly when it finally pressed on her core.

The blonde moved back to kiss her when she rubbed her finger tips on her clit. Bo gasped hard, arching further away from the couch. With her eyes closed, she was completely drowned in the pleasure. Then she felt the blonde slam her fingers inside her. She couldn't make a sound. She could hardly breathe. The blonde kissed her aggressively on her lips, with her fingers pushing in and pulling out, and her thumb rubbing her clit. Right before it exploded inside her body, the blonde moved away from her lips and whispered to her ear, " Feed off me..."

Bo did. The extremely powerful Chi flew to her body just as she reached her peak. She thought for a moment she was going to black out, but she didn't. She unconsciously rolled her hips for more, and the blonde didn't hold back at all. Bo orgasmed three times before the blonde finally stopped and pulled her fingers.

Bo let out a deep breath. She felt unbelievably charged. She wrapped her legs around the blonde's waist, and rolled on top of her. " My turn." She murmured, pinning the blonde down on the couch.

* * *

After their love making and a quick shower, both of them lay on Tamsin's bed again.

" Are we going to Asgard, or some other place, to enter...any entrance for the trial or something?" Bo asked Tamsin as she pulled herself close to the blonde under the blanket.

" No." Tamsin said, caressing her face, " When we wake up, we'll be waking up in the trial."

" Oh..." Bo said, " Then what happens if we never fall asleep tonight?"

" Then we'll be in the trial by tomorrow noon. It's not something you can dodge by not sleeping." Tamsin said, " We should get some rest."

" Ok." Bo laid a kiss on her lips, embracing her.

The Valkyrie let out a light sign, and held Bo's hand in hers. She slowly interlocked her fingers with Bo's and held her hand to her chest. She closed her eyes, lowering her head to give Bo a kiss on her hand. " If...I ever had a choice, and I had to bond with someone..." Tamsin whispered, hesitating, not sure if she should continue talking.

" Ok...?" Bo waited patiently for the blonde to continue.

" It would be you..." The blonde said in a low voice, " It would always...be you..."

A warm feeling passed through Bo's heart. She smiled, holding the blonde tighter to her chest. " 'Cause I'm perfect, right?" She whispered back to the blonde.

Tamsin sighed. " You are not gonna let me get away with that ever, are you?"

" No. And you can't take that back." Bo said.

" I shouldn't have fucking said it in the first place..." Tamsin said, " Fucking stupid alcohol..."

" Well, consider that a small price to pay for stealing all my liquor..." Bo whispered to her.

Tamsin let out a deep breath. She didn't say anything, but tucked herself closer to Bo's side. She had her fingers lightly pressing on Bo's chest, caressing her smooth skin. She vividly remembered how she told the succubus that she was perfect in her bathtub that day, and she wasn't regretting it at all. Now she was bonded with her forever. They would never leave each other ever again. That thought warmed her.

" We should get some rest." Bo murmured, already half asleep. The last thing she remembered was Tamsin's semi sleep stalk whispering, " Perfect...damn right...you are..."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

With a loud gasp, Bo woke up from the darkness. She found herself inside a car. It looked old, and had not been properly cleaned for a while. Dead bugs stuck on the wind shield, and the side windows were all open.

She immediately turned around and looked for Tamsin. The Valkyrie was sitting on the driver's seat, with her hands on the steering wheel. Bo saw her eyelashes flutter, before she opened her eyes. The Valkyrie gasped hard, reaching for her dagger. She gripped the hilt tight, and turned to face Bo.

" Are we in?" Bo asked her, pulling out her dagger too.

Tamsin nodded. She looked around, and frowned when she saw all the fast food wrappers and empty drink bottles on the back seat. She pulled her backpack from the back and checked the contents inside, making sure everything she packed was there.

" How did your backpack get here?"

" We are allowed to bring one pack with us. Once you've packed your equipment, you put the amulet pebble you got during the trial selection with your stuff, and it will be projected to the trial grounds with you." Tamsin said. She then checked the glove box of the car, and found some napkins, an old flashlight, a map, and a note.

" What does it say?" Bo asked her.

" Tomorrow afternoon, 2pm, the place marked on map." Tamsin read the note out loud to Bo, as she checked the marked spot on the map. It was about five or six hours drive. " We should have plenty of time." She said.

" So we just go to the place the note tells us to go to?" Bo asked.

" Well, that's the only clue so far. Let's look around and make sure everything is ok first." Tamsin said. She opened the door and got off the car. Bo followed her.

It was hot outside, feeling like the middle of summer. They were on a dirt road, with no one around. Farm lands and orchards were scattered all over the place. A few cows were resting under the shades of the trees far away from them. They looked at the two curiously, with their ears twitching. Bo remembered that when they were at the trial selection ritual, all she saw was parched lands, dried grass and dead trees, but right now everything was at least still alive.

" So...where are we, exactly?" Bo asked, " Are we still...on earth?"

" Think of it as...some virtual space. It's hard to explain, but everything happening here, or will happen here, or happened here, is real, in this world." Tamsin said, " So for example, if we speed, and if there is a cop around to catch us, we'll get a ticket."

" Good example..." Bo said. She paused for a while, because she felt a little different. She looked at her hands, then she turned around for a few times. " So we are...humans now?"

" Well, we are still stronger and faster than them, but we don't have our abilities." Tamsin said, " Why? You feel different?"

Bo closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She realized that the hunger which had followed her for her entire life was gone, as if it had never been there. She laid a hand on Tamsin's arm, trying to push some charms into the blonde, but it was like she was drawing energy from an empty pool. Nothing was coming out.

Tamsin looked at her, with a smile forming on her face, as if she found what Bo was doing funny.

Bo tilted her head. She stared at the blonde. Her blue eyes looked almost transparent under the bright sunlight. With the hint of smile on her face right now, she looked so peaceful and amiable. A stream of warmth passed through her body, into her heart. Bo couldn't tell what it was, because for the first time in her entire life, she was staring at someone she loved without the presence of her hunger. Someone she loved, now she could finally confirm, that she was in loved with the Valkyrie, and that was not because of her succubus nature, or anything else. She was in love with her, and that was all.

Bo pulled the other woman closer for a kiss. A joyful and light feeling exploded in her heart when their lips touched. All she could feel was pure affection, and the sweet taste of the Valkyrie's lips. She kissed her hard, pulling her closer by grabbing her waist.

" Alright, enough, we are not here to make out..." Tamsin pushed Bo back a little to break the kiss. She thought once they both lost their abilities, making out with Bo would be different, because the succubus would not be a sex demon while they were in the trial. She always convinced herself that she had fallen for Bo because of her succubus charms. She thought when they both lost their abilities, her affection for the brunette would fade away, or vanish, or at least become less. But she was wrong, everything felt even more real and stronger right now, and sweeter. She got turned on by the kiss more than ever, and that scared her a little.

Bo stared at Tamsin. She wanted to say something, but she didn't. She just stayed quiet for a while.

" Well, let's get going. We need to find a gas station, and probably get some food." Tamsin said to Bo as she opened the door.

" Wait, so we still need to pay for shit here?" Bo asked.

Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo, " Yes, this is the Rebirth Trial Grounds, not a Communist farm."

" Do they take...credit cards?"

" I really should have given you the Valkyrie rebirth trial 101 lecture last night, instead of..." Tamsin said, biting her lip. " If this place is set as somewhere that takes credit cards, yes. If it isn't, then no."

" Ok. What if we had been dropped in some freaking sixteenth century hell hole, where would we have found money to pay for stuff?"

" I normally pack some universal currency, like gold, silver coins and stuff." Tamsin opened the backpack and showed Bo a little pouch of coins. " But if they didn't take these for currency, we'd have to figure something else out."

" Damn, this feels like one of those video games..."

" Except that you don't really die in video games." Tamsin said, " Let's go, succulet."

* * *

An hour later, they stopped at a gas station on the side of the road. It looked old. A hand written sign was leaning against one of the pumps, claiming ice and cold drinks were sold inside.

" Wow, two dollars per gallon. Can we stay here?" Bo said, reading the price on the screen of the pumps. Then she turned to Tamsin and continued, " You know, we can open a private investigation business here, or something..."

Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo. " If we get out of here alive, I am so gonna tell your pet that you tried to ditch her over the two dollar a gallon gas price."

" Oh, so you are totally not against opening a private investigation business with me here, and you are just worried that Kenzi will be left alone? Do you think we can bring Kenzi here?" Bo teased Tamsin, with a smile on her face.

Tamsin sighed. " Why don't you just go get some drinks and food for us, while I gas up the car? And then you can do some day dreaming."

" Ok." Bo nodded. She went into the store. The door bell rang, and the owner came out from the back. He stared at Bo, with an indifferent look on his face. Bo frowned. She had not seen such look on a man's face for a long time, especially when he was staring at her. Then she realized that her succubus charms were gone now. She shook her head and smiled.

* * *

Bo got out with some drinks and road trip food. She saw that the blonde was cleaning out the trash in the car. The blonde pulled her hair back and made a messy bun on the back of her head, before she started to clean the wind shield.

A weird feeling filled Bo. She barely felt like they were in a strange place, with strange people, with a trial to complete. It just felt like this was an ordinary hot summer day, and they were on a road trip to somewhere. It was just Tamsin and her, and the wind seemed still right now. She just stood a few feet away from the blonde, watching her.

" What are you looking at?" Tamsin frowned.

" Nothing. Now I think I'm sure of it." Bo said.

" Huh?" Tamsin frowned again, looking at Bo. She wanted to ask her what she was sure of, but she thought that could wait, and they did have bigger fish to fry right now, so she said, " Put the case of water in the trunk, will you?"

" Oh, yeah, sure." Bo said. She almost forgot that she was holding a lot of things in her hands. She put them all on the ground, and tried to open the trunk, but she couldn't. She grabbed the edge firmly and shook it, but it wouldn't open at all." I think this damn thing is either too rusty to open, or just broken." She said.

Tamsin sighed. She took out her tool kit and forced the latch to open. Once she opened the trunk, both of them were shocked. They saw Two unconscious teenagers stuffed in the trunk of the car, one male, one female. Both of them were young, about 16 years old. Their clothes were dirty, and there were a few bruises on the girl's cheek and elbows. One of her knees was injured lightly, and it looked like it had just stopped bleeding. Both of them had their hands tied up behind their backs, and feet tied up together.

" Shit!" Tamsin cursed, " What a fucking surprise!" She quickly checked their pulses, and sighed with a relief. " They're alive." She said to Bo.

" We need to get them out of there." Bo said. She dragged them both out with Tamsin's help, and pulled them to rest under the shades of some trees beside the gas station. Tamsin sprayed some icy cold water on both of their faces, trying to wake them up. Bo tapped their faces, but they seemed to be in deep sleep.

" Shit. They might be doped or something." Tamsin said, frowning. She was trying to figure out something to do here, when she saw the boy's eyelashes flutter. She immediately leaned forward, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. " Hey, hey, wake up. Wake up."

The boy opened his eyes. He looked exhausted, and parched. His face was all red, and he was breathing heavily. " Water..." He mumbled," Water..."

Bo handed him a bottle of water. The boy grabbed it and downed it. Water spilled on his clothes and dripped from his chin. He drank like he had never had water before.

When he had finally quenched his thirst and caught his breath, he sat up and pressed his back against the tree. " Thanks." He said.

" Are you ok?" Bo asked him, looking into his eyes. Although his eyes couldn't fully focus on Bo's face, he still nodded.

" So, what the hell is going on here?" Tamsin asked him, crossing her arms in front of her chest, " Are we supposed to call someone, asking for ransom or something?"

The boy shook his head. He seemed surprised. For a moment they thought he was going to laugh at what Tamsin just said, but he didn't. He paused for a moment and said," No, no ransom. We are...the tributes."

" Huh?" Bo asked.

" Did you just say tributes?" Tamsin said.

The boy nodded. He asked for another bottle of water before he started to talk again. " We are the tributes...for something that is causing the drought here."

" What do you mean by _something_? And I don't see signs of a drought here." Tamsin said. She looked around, as if she was trying to persuade herself.

" You guys are not local, aren't you?" The boy asked, looking at them.

" No, we're not, so you better explain every detail to us right now, before we stuff you back into the trunk."

" That's what I figured." The boy said, " The locals are too cowardly to do the courier job, and that's why we were in your car. You are to deliver us to that...thing."

" So what exactly is this thing?" Bo asked.

" No one knows. Every several years, we have this huge drought. The only way to resolve it is to provide tributes to the thing that causes it." He said, " My friends told me that it is a monster or something."

" Oh my God, this is the fucking twenty first century already, and here people are still sacrificing children up to monsters to avoid a drought?!" Tamsin exclaimed.

" It's how it works here." The boy said. He paused for a second and then continued, " My name is Jacob, and that-" he pointed at the girl, "-is Emma."

" Very nice to meet you." Bo smiled to him, " Would you like another bottle of water? And, give us a few minutes?"

Jacob nodded. He grabbed another water and started to drink.

Bo pulled Tamsin to the side, and asked her, " So what do we do now? We can't send them to this...whatever the fuck it is...right?"

" I know. We probably need to kill this damn monster." Tamsin said, " We need to figure out what it is first. God, I wish Trick was here..."

" Yeah, but we need to get those two kids to a safe place first."

Tamsin sighed. She looked around with her eyes narrowed. " I guess we could put them in a motel or something." She paused for a second or two, and cursed in a low voice, " Fuck! This is so not what I pictured. Maybe that's why no one has ever come out alive from this particular trial, 'cause Valkyries don't know shit about babysitting."

" Let's just put them in a motel, and ask the motel owner or whoever there to watch them for a while." Bo said, " Then we'll go kill this monster and get out of here."

" You know damn well this shit isn't going to be that easy to fix." Tamsin said with a serious look on her face, " But I guess right now, it's the only route we can take."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the support :) And finally Bo and Tamsin are in the trial!**

**I've seen a couple reviews concerning about me abandoning Trivial Days and By Your Side since I have a new story up. I want to assure everyone that I'm not abandoning either stories. Although, I might update them a little bit slower than before, so please bare with me.**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Bo and Tamsin got back on the road again after Jacob had enough rest at the gas station. Jacob sat on the back seat, with Emma beside him. The young girl was still unconscious, but she was breathing steadily and peacefully.

" Is she gonna be ok?" Bo asked Tamsin in a low voice.

" She's probably drugged or something. If I gave someone up as tribute, I wouldn't want her to be conscious either." Tamsin said, peeking in the rear view mirror. She looked at Jacob, who was looking out the window. " Hey, kid, care to tell us more about you two and the tribute thing? Why did they choose you two? And is there anywhere safe to go, like a motel or something?"

Bo rolled her eyes at Tamsin. " One question at a time maybe?" She said.

" Fine, how about you ask then." Tamsin said, turning her head back to focus on the road.

Bo turned around and said softly, " Maybe you can start with something like where you two are from?"

" We are...emmm...we are local." Jacob said. He seemed a little bit shy talking to Bo. His head was lowered and his eyes were looking down. " We both grew up in an orphanage on the north side of the town. We are not related, but she is like a sister to me, you know." He said as he looked at Emma.

Bo turned around to face the front, and she caught Tamsin frowning at a glimpse. She frowned too. She wanted to ask Tamsin what she was frowning about, but she heard Jacob talking again. " Orphans with no parents, pretty good choice for tributes, huh?"

" Hey, we'll get you two out of this, I promise." Bo said.

" Who is _we_?" Tamsin asked her, staring.

" You and me." Bo said. Then she looked at Jacob and Emma, continued in a low voice, " I thought this is part of the trial and you have to do it."

Tamsin rolled her eyes again. " With two damn teenagers on my back seat? I'd rather die right now!" She said, sighing.

" Anywhere safe for you two to go while we go take care of this shit?" Bo asked Jacob.

" We can't stay in the town. Everyone here knows about us being the tributes." Jacob said, " If they see us, they are going to throw us to the monster."

" Any place that you know of, like an abandoned building or something to hide for a day or two?" Bo asked.

"Emm..." Jacob said as he tried to think of a place. He stayed quiet for a long time, before he finally spoke again, " I know there are some houses over on the east side of the town. They never really finished building them because the housing market crashed and stuff."

" Will you be ok staying there for a day or two with Emma?" Bo asked.

" Oh come on! He's like 16 already. He can handle a day or two in some random abandoned building, ok?" Tamsin said, looking at the boy, " You can, right?"

Jacob nodded. " Actually I'm 15." He then added.

" 15, 16, whatever." Tamsin said, " Lucky for you two, it's not too far away from where we are going, and we need to rest tonight too. I guess we'll be staying with you guys tonight."

After a couple of hours of driving, they stopped at the place Jacob talked about. It looked like a newly built community, but some houses were not finished.

" Well, pick one that actually has a roof, I guess." Tamsin said, parking her car beside a house that looked done.

They all got off the car and went in. Jacob carried Emma with him. Then they carried the food and water in with their gear.

After they were done, the sun had already sunk behind the horizon. It was turning dark. Bo let Jacob and Emma stay in the bedroom, while she and Tamsin stayed in the living room.

Bo and Tamsin sat down on the floor beside a wall in the living room. For a while they didn't say anything. Both of them had some food with water, and they just sat there in silence.

" So...killing a monster, huh?" Bo finally started to talk.

" I really don't think things will be that easy. There has to be something else about this trial that makes it impossible to complete." Tamsin said. She sighed and paused for a while, before she continued, " I've known only one Valkyrie who selected this trial, and she never came back. She was one hell of a tough fighter. I don't think a drought monster would be that impossible for her to overcome."

" Maybe this monster is just very hard to kill." Bo said.

" It can't be just about the monster. It's just..." Tamsin paused before she finished her sentence. She frowned again, as if she was thinking about something.

" What is it?" Bo asked.

" Never mind, probably nothing." Tamsin said, " We should get some rest. Need to get on the road early tomorrow morning."

" Ok." Bo said. She looked around. There was no furniture in the house, not to mention a couch or a blanket. _How the fuck are we gonna rest like this? _She asked herself. Then she saw the Valkyrie leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes.

The rising moon shined on Tamsin's face, and it reminded Bo of the night they spent together in the cave in Asgard. Back then she had no idea about what was going through Tamsin's life, but now, she had became a part of the Valkyrie's life. Thinking about how much pain the Valkyrie had gone through to protect her, Bo felt a painful yet warm sensation in her chest. She held Tamsin's hand in hers, and moved it closer to her lips. Kissing the blonde's hand gently, Bo pulled her closer. She moved a little bit so she could hug the blonde from behind.

Tamsin stiffened. The warmth from the succubus startled her a little, and she was still not used to be this close to her sometimes, despite the million times they had been together. She felt Bo's chin resting on her shoulder, with her warm breath beside her ears. Then she felt Bo's arms holding her by her waist. The brunette tightened her grip. Tamsin softened herself, lightly pressing her back against Bo's chest. Being with Bo like this, she felt safe.

Bo sighed lightly. She could almost hear Tamsin's heart beats, and the blonde's scent just filled her nose. Tamsin's hair locks were tickling her face, and she slightly quivered. It just felt like when they were both in Bo's bed, that they were so close, and they comforted each other. It had always made Bo feel safe somehow, just like right now. For a moment, she totally forgot that they were in a strange place, and in an empty house, with an agenda they were not sure about, and future unknown. Right now she just wanted to be with her like this. Various of feelings rattled inside her, as if they were about to burst out like the flood behind a dam.

Bo knew what it was. It was her feelings for the Valkyrie. She had confirmed it today, after she lost all her succubus powers. Being this close to her, she couldn't contain it anymore. She took a deep breath, and called the blonde's name, " Tamsin."

The Valkyrie tensed up, but she didn't say anything. Bo knew she was listening to her, so she continued, " I love you, Tamsin. I'm in love with you." Bo heard the last few words coming from her mouth, and her voice was shaking. She knew she would never be able to take it back now, but she just felt relaxed. She buried her face into the blonde's hair, and took a deep breath. She didn't know how Tamsin was going to take this, but she just needed to get it out of her heart, before it exploded inside.

Bo stayed quiet for a while, before she started to speak again. " I should have told you a long time ago, I guess I was just too afraid. Now that I've confirmed..."

" Confirmed?" Tamsin asked. Her voice was shaking too.

" That I love you, and it's not my hunger, or my succubus nature. It's just me, loving you." Bo said. She felt like she pulled out the cork from the wine bottle, and now the liquid inside was just flowing out, " Now I am just an ordinary girl, telling another ordinary girl...well, a pretty bad ass ordinary girl...that I love her."

Tamsin didn't say anything. She was not sure what she should say, because everything just seemed like a dream right now. The beautiful moonlight rendered everything in a silver gloss. The warm, quiet summer night wind carried the sweet scent of ripe fruit and summer blossoms. And the brunette, who was holding her in her arms and telling her how much she loved her, and how badly she wanted to tell her for a long time. Bo's voice was so soft, and her breath was so warm.

Tamsin finally decided to turn around and face Bo. Bo still had her arms around her waist. They were so close, and Tamsin moved even closer. Her nose touched Bo's, when she laid her hands on Bo's face and caressed her skin lightly. Slowly running her index finger along Bo's jaw line, Tamsin gazed into her eyes before she pressed her lips on Bo's.

Bo kissed her back. The blonde's lips were so sweet and so soft, that she almost felt like it was a dream. The blonde kneeled between her legs, and lowered her head to kiss her hard. She put her arms around Bo's neck, so she could pull her closer. For a minute or two, neither of them thought about anything, or talked about anything, but to continue the kiss.

Tamsin finally pulled back a little, with her eyes closed and her forehead resting on Bo's. She took a deep breath, and said, " Bo, I..."

Bo was waiting for her to finish her sentence, but before the next word popped out from Tamsin's mouth, they both heard something loud outside. Both of them stood up and grabbed their weapons.

" Go check the kids." Tamsin whispered to Bo as she slowly walked towards the window.

Bo nodded. She tiptoed to the bedroom. Emma was lying on the floor, but Jacob was not with her. Bo was not sure if she should call out his name, because she was afraid that whoever was outside could hear her. Before she could make a decision, the bathroom door opened. Jacob was startled when he saw Bo standing right outside.

" I'm sorry, you scared me a little." Jacob said. He smiled as if he was apologizing.

Bo put her index finger on her lips, telling him to keep his voice down.

" What?" Jacob asked.

" Someone's outside..." Bo said. Then she saw Tamsin enter the room.

" The town sheriff and some other people are here. There are like ten cars outside-" Tamsin said. She was interrupted by a loud, squeaky noise outside, which was coming from a loudspeaker.

"This is the town sheriff. I repeat, this is the town sheriff. Surrender your weapons and come out and put your hands where we can see them." A loud voice came from outside.

Tamsin put her finger to her lips indicating to Bo and Jacob that they should keep quiet. She looked through the window of the bedroom, and said, " Shit! They are armed."

" What?" Bo whispered, " I thought you said no firearms on trial grounds."

" I said we are not allowed to bring them. I didn't say they don't exist here."

" Fuck! What are we gonna do then?" Bo said, " We can't fight through this with two daggers."

" You two get the girl." Tamsin said, " I'll create a diversion, and when it's time, get her out and get to somewhere safe."

" That's crazy!" Bo said, " How the hell are you gonna create a diversion? And how the hell are we gonna get out of here to somewhere safe?"

Tamsin didn't get to say anything, because the Sheriff outside started to talk again, " Last chance, surrender your weapons and walk out. Or we will start shooting."

" Just go!" Tamsin said to Bo.

" No, that's fucking insane!" Bo said, " I'm not leaving you!"

" Then fucking get down!" Tamsin grabbed her and threw them both to the floor, right before the bullets shattered the window.

" This is just a warning shot." The voice came back again," Surrender your weapons, and come out. No harm will be done. We just want the tribute."

" Why don't you go fuck yourself?" Tamsin yelled, but no one heard her. Her voice was drowned by a sudden, loud noise coming from outside. It sounded like a plane in a nose dive.

" What is that?" Bo asked.

Before Tamsin could answer her, they all saw burning flames coming down from the sky and hitting the cars outside. A smell of sulfur exploded in the air. They heard people screaming outside, looking for shelter. They turned their guns to the sky and started shooting.

It was then Bo saw something flying in the sky. At first she thought it was a dragon, like one of those she saw in one of Trick's old parchments. The creature breathed fire onto the ground, and it was covered by dark scales. It had a dull, metal gloss to it. Its two wings fluttered like a bat, and the two claws were as sharp as swords.

" Oh shit! It's a Wyvern." Tamsin said, " How the hell... I thought they were extinct like hundreds of years ago!"

" What the fuck is a Wyvern!" Bo asked.

" Very close to a dragon, only smaller..."

" You call that small?" Bo said, " I've see planes smaller than that!"

" Well you should see a real dragon then." Tamsin said, " Whatever, now it's really not the time, succubus!" She turned around and looked at Jacob and Emma. The girl was still unconscious, and the boy was just standing there, looking lost. Tamsin rolled her eyes and said, " Maybe this Wyvern is here to save us. We should go now!"

" Ok." Bo took a last glance at outside, and saw the group of townspeople trying to fight the Wyvern. She and Tamsin took Emma in their arms and carried her out through the back door. The people who guarded the back door were gone too. They all went to the front side of the house to support each other.

Tamsin and Bo let Jacob carry Emma on his back. They rushed to the car, but they didn't go far before they heard a loud noise coming closer from behind. The Wyvern was flying after them. Its claws dragging across the rooftops of the houses, and the half of one roof was torn off.

" Shit! It's coming at us!" Bo yelled to Tamsin when they ran to their car.

" Fuck!" Tamsin cursed. She drew her sword out in her right hand and turned around. She shielded Bo and the two kids from the Wyvern and said to Bo, " Take them to the car and drive as fast as you can. Wyverns are strong, but they are not very fast. They can't go over a hundred miles per hour."

" If you stay, I stay." Bo said. She stared at Jacob, and the boy seemed to realize that he needed to carry Emma to the car and get both of them out of here. He nodded and started to run with Emma on his back.

" Shit, succubus. You're as stubborn as fuck!" Tamsin said. She gripped the sword tight in her hand, and stood in front of Bo.

" Why do you think you have to protect me every fucking time, Tamsin?" Bo said.

" Because you can't fucking heal yourself right now, and if you fuck up, we both die!" Tamsin said.

" Fine, whatever. How are we gonna kill this damn thing?" Bo said as she watched the Wyvern destroy the house they were just in five minutes ago. The monster burnt it down by spitting flames at it. The townspeople were long gone, leaving their fallen behind.

" We probably can't. We'll just need to hold it long enough till the kids are gone."

" Then what about us?"

" Then we run." Tamsin said. Her voice was shaking. She couldn't help thinking about the worst that could happen to them. Just the two of them wouldn't stand a chance beating the Wyvern. It was just too strong. One breath of fire, and they would be torched, not to mention its poisonous spiky tail. Anyone touched by it would drift into a deep sleep and never wake up. " Don't get burnt, and stay far, far away from its tail."

" Wouldn't get close even if you told me to." Bo said. She could see how sharp the spikes were on the long, strong tail of the Wyvern. She couldn't even imagine how much it would hurt if it hit her.

The Wyvern had destroyed everything it could, and it was coming towards Bo and Tamsin. It looked pissed.

Bo took a glance at Jacob and Emma with the corner of her eye, and saw Jacob stuffing Emma in the car. Then the Wyvern dashed towards them from the sky. Its tail was wagging back and forth in the air, as if it was ready to strike a target.

Bo realized that compared to the size of the Wyvern, her sword would be nothing more than a toothpick when the Wyvern got close to them. She knew no way they could defeat it, so she jerked herself to one side and fell on the ground. The flame torched the ground where she was just standing five seconds ago. She immediately turned around and saw Tamsin, who was lying on the ground too. The Wyvern stayed in the air for a second or two, its amber eyes staring at Bo, as if it was trying to decide whether Bo was worth going after. Bo gripped her sword tight, although she had no idea what she should do if the beast should fall on her. Then she saw the monster turn and move toward Tamsin.

The Valkyrie raised herself on her elbows, facing the beast without blinking. As the Wyvern went charging towards her, she threw her sword and pieced it through the monster's right eye.

A painful cry came from the Wyvern. It was so loud that Bo felt the air was shattered. The monster waved its head back and forth, trying to shake the sword off. A few seconds later, it fluttered its wings in rage, and started to dive down to devour Tamsin.

Bo moved before she even realized what she was doing. Dashing towards the blonde, she covered her with her own body. Tamsin opened her eyes wide," What the fuck are you doing?!" She yelled. She wanted to push Bo away but before she could, Bo was hit by the tail of the Wyvern.

There was not even time for Tamsin to yell, or scream. She had to hold Bo tight in her arm and roll away, to dodge a second round of tail attacks from the beast. Just as she was trying hard to think of a strategy to get both of them out alive, she heard the engine start. Jacob had finally started the car.

The sound from the engine drew the Wyvern's attention. The monster turned around and flew towards the car. Before the car could get away, it had caught up with it. With its two claws picking up the car, the Wyvern rose high above and squeezed its claws.

Tamsin watched the monster tear the car apart, like the car was made of paper instead of steel. Then it grabbed both kids and flew away.

Everything went back to silence again. Tamsin gasped hard. She could feel her arms shaking. She wanted to stand up but she just couldn't feel her legs. Then she turned her eyes to Bo, who was lying unconscious right beside her.

" Oh, no...shit, fuck, fuck! No!" Tamsin murmured, checking the wound on Bo's back. The monster's tail had hit her. It didn't look fatal, but Tamsin knew a bleeding wound was never the worst part of the injury from a Wyvern. The worst part of it was the unique poison, which put the victim into a deep sleep. Most of the victims never woke up.

For a minute or two, Tamsin was too terrified to move. Then she heard the sound of cars coming back, and people were running around, yelling things. She knew she had to move, and she had to move right now. She sheathed her sword and carried Bo on her shoulder. She started to run.

" Don't do this to me, succubus." Tamsin murmured, " Don't you dare do this to me!"


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

" Wake up, Bo, wake up..." Tamsin whispered to Bo as she tapped her face lightly. She managed to get them both to a cave in the mountains not too far away from the house before the townspeople caught them. She laid Bo on the ground, trying to wake her up, but she was not responding at all.

Never in her life had Tamsin been this terrified before. She knew the first few hours were the most critical, because if Bo couldn't wake up on her own during that time, she would be in a deep sleep for the rest of her life. It was how the poison of a Wyvern would work, not only would it put the victim into a deep sleep, but it would also gave the victim the most perfect, peaceful dreams that the victim wouldn't want to wake up from.

Tamsin attended Bo's wounds with the first aid kit she brought. Bo bled a lot, but it was not what Tamsin was worried about. What worried her most was the hint of a smile appearing on Bo's face, that scared the crap out of Tamsin. She knew the brunette was slowly drifting into those peaceful, perfect dreams of hers, where eventually her mind would be consumed by those illusions and she would never return to consciousness.

" God, Bo, please, wake up..." Tamsin murmured as she held Bo in her arms. She lowered her head to lay a kiss on Bo's lips. Her lips were as soft and sweet as always. Just like when a few hours ago, the succubus had told her that she loved her and not just as a succubus to a Valkyrie, but, as one girl to another. It felt like a dream, until everything went out of control.

" You have to wake up, Bo. You have to. Don't you dare do this to me..." Tamsin whispered to her, holding her tightly to her chest. It was the only thing she could do right now, other than waiting and praying. Never in her life had she hoped for anything as desperately as wishing Bo still had her succubus power. She would give up every bit of her Chi, just to wake her up right now. " Please...don't believe anything you see, or hear, or think right now...just open your damn eyes..."

* * *

"...Hey, succulet, wake up..." A soft voice came to Bo, when she felt something tapping on her face. She opened her eyes, moaning in pain. Tamsin's face was only half an inch away. The Valkyrie was smiling at her.

" Morning..." Bo murmured. She was still sleepy.

" Morning, sweetheart." Tamsin whispered to her, kissing her on her lips. The sweet taste made Bo want more, but as she moved deeper in the kiss, she felt a little dizzy. She frowned and stopped.

" What's wrong?"

" Nothing, just a little dizzy." Bo said. She shook her head lightly, trying to get rid of that feeling.

" Are you low on your battery?" The Valkyrie said playfully, running her finger on Bo's waist line. " 'Cause if you are, I can take care of that..."

Bo smiled. She pulled the Valkyrie closer for another kiss. " No, I guess I just need some coffee."

" Well, that can be arranged too." Tamsin sat up and put on Bo's kimono, " Come on, breakfast is ready."

" You cooked breakfast for me?" Bo asked.

Tamsin looked at her, with a confused look on her face. " Are you OK?" She asked.

" Yeah, yeah I'm fine, why?"

" Your human pet cooked breakfast for everyone. You didn't hear her yelling your name like five minutes ago?"

" No...I was probably...dreaming..." Bo said. She sat up and closed her eyes, moaning. " I think I had a weird dream..."

" Weird how?"

" I don't know...I think I dreamt about a giant bird or something...something flying...then there was fire, death...I think someone was with me...but..." Bo tried hard to remember everything, but the harder she tried, the dizzier she got.

" Must be those stupid action movies you watch with your pet." Tamsin said, " Come on, they're waiting for us."

" They?" Bo said in a low voice. For a moment she felt like she was dream walking. Then she heard noises coming from downstairs. People are talking, laughing. She smelled pancakes, hot chocolate and coffee. It felt just like an ordinary morning, with everyone at her place having breakfast together.

_Since when do we all have breakfast together?_ Bo asked herself, frowning. Then she huffed out a light laugh. _What were you thinking? They always have breakfast here._

Walking down the stairs, Bo heard the noise downstairs getting louder, like a boiling pot with all the bubbling and sizzling. The dining table was already full. Trick, Dyson and Lauren were sitting together, talking about something in low voices. Bo picked up a few words like _dragon_ or _tribute_, but she had no idea what the whole conversation was about. The three of them were smiling, with coffee in their hands and pancakes in front of them.

Kenzi was still cooking. She swung the pan and the pancake flew to Hale, who was sitting at the other end of the table. Hale laughed and caught it with his plate. Kenzi laughed out loud. Then she threw another to Dyson and Dyson grabbed it in his hand before it hit the floor.

Tamsin was sitting on the couch, watching the morning news while she put her gun and badge on. She saw Bo and smiled to her. Tapping the seat beside her, she winked at Bo, telling her to come close. Bo walked to her and sat down. The Valkyrie immediately held her by her waist and kissed the back of her neck.

Bo subconsciously wanted to pull away because of all the other people in the room, but she frowned. _Why would I think that?_ She asked herself.

" Ain't this the perfect life or what!" Kenzi exclaimed as she finished cooking the last pancake.

_Perfect_. That word hit Bo like a lightning strike. _Where have I heard that word before? And who said it to me?_ Questions popped out from her mind, and the dizziness came back again. She moaned.

" Hey, doc, could you come over and check her out?" Tamsin said to Lauren, " She's been having headache all morning."

The doctor rushed to Bo. She did a quick exam of her and said, " I don't see anything abnormal. How bad is it?"

" Just a minor one." Bo said, " Probably nothing."

" Do you want some pain killers?" Lauren asked Bo. She seemed worried.

" No, I think I'm fine. Probably just lack of sleep, or coffee." Bo said.

" If the symptoms persist, come to my lab to see me, OK?" Lauren said.

Bo nodded. " So you went back to work in the Ash's lab?" She asked. The minute she heard what she had just said, she couldn't understand why she asked that.

Lauren looked at Bo. "Ok, now I'm really worried, Bo." She said, " I've worked in the Ash's lab for like...ever. You sure you are Ok?"

" Yeah. I don't know why I asked that." Bo said, " Sorry. I'll come by if it doesn't go away."

" Get some rest when I'm at work." Tamsin said to her. She laid a kiss on her forehead and continued, "Maybe you didn't get enough sleep, because of the weird dream you had or something."

" Where are you going?" Bo asked. Then she noticed that everyone except Kenzi stood up and walked to the door. " Are you all leaving?"

" Honey." Tamsin said, with a mocking smile on her face, " Yes, we are all leaving, because we all have this thing called jobs to do. See, Dyson here has a case to work on with me. Hale needs to do his Ash thing. Lauren has like tons of research work to do. Your grandpa has a bar to take care of."

Bo shook her head and smiled. _What is it with me today?_ She asked herself, _It's like I can't remember shit._

" Something's bothering you?" Trick asked her after everyone else had left.

" No, everything is perfect." Bo said. Then she felt her heart skip a beat. The dizziness in her head suddenly got so strong that she had to lie down. " Just a headache." She said, closing her eyes.

* * *

" Please, Bo. Listen to me. Wake up. Wake up." Tamsin didn't know how many times she had told Bo the same thing. She begged her to open her eyes to no avail.

Tamsin just sat there, repeating the same sentence over and over, with her eyes on her hands, her blood covered hands. It was Bo's blood. Then she noticed the water drops on Bo's face. They looked like diamonds underneath the moonlight. It was then she realized that she was crying. She couldn't remember the last time she had shed any tears for someone. Valkyries were not made for emotional moments like this. For a long time in her life, she thought she probably had lost the ability to cry for anything, or anyone, forever. But now, she was watching her own tears falling on Bo's face.

Fear occupied her heart. She couldn't face the possibility that Bo might stay like this forever. She just couldn't accept that those beautiful, warm brown eyes might never open again. She just couldn't.

Holding Bo's hand in hers, she lowered her head and kiss her fingers. " Please...open your damn eyes, Bo...You are not doing this shit to me..."

Everything she had ever learned flashed through her mind. She tried hard to search through every bit of her memory, looking for something to deal with the Wyvern poisoning, but everything relating to Wyverns said that the poison had no antidote. If the victim couldn't wake up on his or her own in the first few hours, there was nothing that anyone could do.

" You have to wake up, succulet. I haven't...I haven't fucking told you I love you yet. Don't do this shit to me, not now...You have to wake up... I love you...I love you, Bo..."

* * *

A few drops of warm water fell on Bo's face. She gasped hard and opened her eyes. Water splashed out from the bathtub as she grabbed the edge of it and pulled herself up. For a moment she thought she was drowning, but then she remembered that she was just taking a bath. The warm water comforted her, but at the same time, made her mind foggy.

The Valkyrie raised her head from Bo's chest, peeking at her. " Too strong?" She asked, chuckling. Then she lowered her head and gave Bo a long, hard lick on her hardened nipples. She was staring at Bo the whole time.

Bo threw her head back and moaned. " Tamsin..." She murmured the blonde's name as the blonde's kisses moved down along her body. She couldn't tell what was burning her up, her kiss or the water. The hot, steamy air made it hard to breathe.

Suddenly she heard something. Someone was whispering to her ear. _I love you_. Those three words whispered to her almost made her jerk up from the tub. The voice was so light, that it could be easily mistaken as the night breeze. Bo opened her eyes wide and stared at Tamsin, who was looking at her startled.

_It wasn't her. Then who whispered to me?_ Bo thought to herself.

" Someone looks distracted..." Tamsin said to Bo as she moved up. She climbed on top of Bo in the tub, smiling. Her hair was all wet, sticking to her face and her shoulders.

Bo frowned. A weird feeling suddenly overcame her. She felt like she had experienced this exact moment before, but at the same time, it was completely different.

She stared at Tamsin. She gazed into those blue eyes. She thought for sure she would see a familiar painful look in them, but she didn't. She couldn't say why she thought there would be pain there, and she couldn't remember when or where she had ever seen that in Tamsin's eyes. The dizziness came back to her again, so strong that she moaned out loud. She felt something in her mind, flashing so fast that she couldn't grasp it. They were all bits and pieces, like shards of glass that pierced through her and hurt her. But she remembered those blue eyes. They were filled with pain and desperation. Then she remembered those fingers. They had tapped on her chest, right above her heart. Then she remembered that voice. That soft, sweet voice. _I love you. I love you, Bo. I love you._

It was right beside her ear, but it was not from the Valkyrie who was on top of her right now.

" What's wrong, babe?" Tamsin asked. She went back to kissing Bo's neck.

" You..." Bo said, trying everything she could to control the heavy headache she was having right now, " You are not...this is not...everything is not..."

" Huh?" The blonde looked at her, with a smile on her face, as if she was amused.

" You...you are not real. This is...not real." Bo said, pushing Tamsin away. She struggled in the bathtub, trying to get away from the blonde. Water splashed everywhere.

" Why would you say such a thing, babe?" Tamsin asked. She tilted her head to one side, her eyes filled with sorrow, as if what Bo had just said broke her heart. " I am real. See." She held Bo's hand in hers, " I am real. Feel me."

" No, you are not." Bo pulled her hand out and reached for the side table next to the tub. She searched for her dagger, but it was not there. She cursed and pulled herself up from the tub. " If this was real, I would have always, _always_, kept my dagger there, because you told me to."

" I'm sure you just moved it somewhere else. Sweetheart, you are taking a bath with me, why would you need your dagger?" Tamsin pulled Bo close, " You are just too tired. Why don't we just dry ourselves and take a nap together?"

" No!" Bo pushed her away again, stepping out from the tub. She moved so fast that she almost tripped.

" Trust me, babe. Everything is real." Tamsin said, following her, " Don't you see, everything is so perfect here?"

" No! Nothing is perfect here, because nothing is real!" Bo said, " You are not Tamsin, because Tamsin would never, never, call me _babe_!"

Bo felt like the strongest headache she ever had in her whole life just hit her like a sledge hammer. The pain just exploded inside her head. She fell on the floor, screaming. Things going through her mind so fast that she couldn't focus on any of them, but she knew she had to wake up, because nothing she had experience was real. Kenzi couldn't cook, and Lauren was not working for the Ash anymore. She never had breakfast with all of them together like that. And Tamsin, Tamsin certainly would not call her babe. The Valkyrie was always snarky, instead of nice, but she was perfect. She was who Bo fell in love with, and Bo thought she was perfect.

Bo heard herself screaming in the darkness. It was painful, cold, and scary, but she tightly held on to the whispers she heard, and tried everything she could to follow it.

* * *

Eventually she saw light. It was the sunlight in the very early dawn. The pain coming from her back made everything real.

Then she saw Tamsin, who was staring at her. Apparently she was surprised to see Bo open her eyes. Tears were still hanging on her face, and more were coming out from her eyes.

" God...God..." Tamsin whispered as she held Bo tightly to her chest. She buried her face on Bo's shoulder so the brunette couldn't see her crying. She trembled so hard, that Bo had to hold her hand to ease the tension.

Bo caressed Tamsin's face lightly. She wiped the tears off her face. " I have...I have never seen you cry." She said. She had seen the Valkyrie in desperation, in anger, or even in happiness. She had seen the vulnerable side of her, as well as the badass, strong side of her. But she had never seen her cry.

" Oh shut the fuck up, bitch!" Tamsin said to her, " You weren't supposed to see this in the first place!"

" Now I am pretty sure you are real..." Bo said.

" Fuck...I thought you would never wake up..." Tamsin said. She had never felt this happy before.

" I probably wouldn't have, if I hadn't heard your voice..." Bo said. She closed her eyes. Feeling the warmth from the Valkyrie, she felt safer than ever. " At least I think it was you...did you say you love me...?"

" Fuck..." Tamsin cursed, " You weren't supposed to hear that either!"

Bo smiled. She put her arms around the blonde's neck and hugged her tight. " Are you gonna take it back?" She whispered to her, mostly teasing and mocking.

The Valkyrie pulled back a little, so she could look Bo in her eyes. With her fingers running slowly on Bo's face, Tamsin closed the distance between them. She pressed her lips on Bo's and closed her eyes.

For a moment, they just embraced each other and kissed. Both hearts filled with happiness, and peace.

" I really should be kicking your fucking ass right now, succubus." Tamsin murmured as she pulled back for some air. With her forehead resting on Bo's, she continued, " I specifically told you not to throw yourself between me and danger, didn't I? Are you really trying to get yourself killed?"

" Well, I figure we'd have a better chance of surviving if you were the one who was left standing." Bo said, " And I was right."

" I didn't do shit! I couldn't do shit! There's nothing I can do for the fucking Wyvern poisoning..." Tamsin said. Her heart was still pounding with the fear she just had for the past few hours, when Bo was unconscious.

" Yes, you did. If I hadn't heard your voice, I would never have woken up." Bo said, " Tamsin, you saved me again..."

" This is the last fucking time I do anything nice for you." Tamsin said, but she never loosened her grip on Bo.

Bo sighed. She held the blonde tighter in her arms. Her warmth and her scent comforted her. Bo paused for a second or two, and whispered, " I love you, Tamsin. I love you."

She waited for a while, and heard the blonde say, " I love you too."

Bo kissed her on her lips. Then she said, " Ok, so now can you tell me how badly I am injured? My back is killing me..."

" Oh you'll be fine!" Tamsin said, " Just a scratch from the Wyvern."

" Good. 'Cause I was thinking maybe I would never be able to walk again or something..." Bo teased her.

Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo. Then she lay down on the ground and let Bo rest on top of her. She held one of Bo's hands in hers and laid a light kiss on it. Then she interlocked their fingers. " You should get some rest."

" You mean sleep?"

" Well, unless you think staring at me can do you any good."

" You have no idea..." Bo said, chuckling. Then she thought about something. " If I fall asleep, will I wake up?"

" Yes. The poison only last a very short period of time. It was your mind that was paralyzing you. And you woke up from your deep dreams. The poison is out of your system now." Tamsin said as she caressed Bo's back.

" So, what are we going to do after I wake up?"

" Then we figure out what the fuck is going on here."


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Bo fell asleep within a few minutes. She was so exhausted, and she had lost a lot of blood. The pain from her wounded back was still bothering her, but Tamsin's heartbeat and her soft, warm skin comforted her. She murmured something vague and hugged Tamsin tight right before she returned to her dreams again, and this time, those dreams would just be normal ones.

Tamsin felt relaxed. She just felt so relieved that Bo was able to come out from the deadly dreams the Wyvern poison gave her. She had no idea what she would have done if Bo had never woken up. Just the thought of having Bo unconscious forever, scared her more than anything else. During her many life times, she had been in devastating situations where she lost her closest friends, or almost died, or worse, but when she saw Bo lying there with her eyes closed, and when she thought about what if the brunette had never woken up, she was consumed by pure fear.

Caressing Bo's fingers in her hand lightly, Tamsin watched Bo for a while. The peaceful, soft face of hers comforted her. Knowing that she had her in her life, that she would never leave her, and that they loved each other, was more than enough.

Just a few minutes ago, she told Bo that she loved her. She poured her heart out while Bo was unconscious, desperately hoping that would wake her up. Tamsin knew once those three words left her lips, there was no way she could ever take them back. Once she said it, there was nowhere for her to run, or hide, anymore. But strangely, for the first time in her life, she felt that it was a good thing.

Because what she said woke Bo up. The brunette heard her voice in her dreams and she woke up from them.

Tamsin huffed out a light laugh, and closed her eyes. To her, it was so ridiculous that she was actually thinking about the relationship between her and Bo, her love for Bo, and Bo's love for her right now, because the trial was a bitch and she had no idea what was going on. She knew it was so not the time to lie here with Bo on top of her, and to watch the brunette sleep. She knew she really should get up and dealing with her rebirth trial right now. But seeing Bo resting like this, with their hands holding tight together, and Bo's face buried into her chest, she just hoped the time could have stopped right here, right now, so that she could have this moment forever.

Bo let out a light moan when Tamsin moved a little to adjust her body. She moved too, snuggling closer to Tamsin. Her eyebrows furrowed a little, as if she was worried about something even in her dreams. Tamsin smiled. That look actually relieved her, because she knew if Bo was still under the influence of the poison, she'd have a satisfying smile instead of a small frown. She laid her fingers on Bo's eyebrows, caressing them gently. Bo mumbled something, and rubbed her face against her chest.

_God what the fuck am I doing right now?_ Tamsin rolled her eyes and cursed to herself, when she realized how intimate they were right now, and how lovey-dovey this moment was. She was not made for this. She was so not made for cuddling, kissing and canoodling. The soft feelings she had in her heart scared her, but at the same time, calmed her.

Lightly moving her hand, she pressed her palm on Bo's. Sometimes she still couldn't believe that they were bonded now, because to her, it was something too good to be true. Yet they were bonded, for life, forever. Even without their Fae powers right now, she could still feel the energy flowing between them, fluctuating. Like an invisible blanket it embraced them, as if they were just one person.

Tamsin smiled to herself. She held the succubus tighter to her chest, and laid a kiss on her forehead.

* * *

" How long did I sleep?" Bo asked when she opened her eyes. Seeing the color of the sunshine was turning into orange, and the shadows outside were getting longer and darker, she knew it was passed noon.

" A couple of hours?" Tamsin said, " If you are awake, why don't you get off me 'cause we really need to get this trial shit done."

" Ok." Bo said, but she didn't move. Instead she just stayed there, with a big smile on her face. " You said you love me..." Bo said as she stared at Tamsin, " I heard it, and you can't take that back."

" No one's taking any shit back, ok?" Tamsin said in frustration, " Either you get off me right now, or I kick you off. And make that stupid smile go away, before I slap it off your face."

Bo got off Tamsin and they both stood up from the ground. Tamsin grabbed the backpack and started to pack everything in it. Bo watched her, chuckling. Tamsin stopped, turning to face her. She stared at Bo, and said, " What now?"

" You love me..." Bo said. She couldn't stop smiling. She was just too overjoyed, and seeing the look of embarrassment on Tamsin's face, made her want to tease her more.

Tamsin shot a cold stare at her. " I am warning you. Stop doing that shit, or I'm taking it back."

" Really? Taking it back? May I ask..." Bo said as she pulled the blonde closer, " How exactly you are going to take that back, detective?"

Tamsin sighed. She couldn't take it back, even if she wanted to. It took her forever to gather the courage to say it for this once, and she was never going to take it back. She rolled her eyes at Bo, letting the brunette to give her a kiss on her lips. " Look, we really need to deal the things in my trial first, ok?" She said, grabbing Bo by her waist.

" Ok. So you are not taking that back, are you?"

" God! Bo! No, I am not!" Tamsin exclaimed, " You are a fucking succubus! Since when are succubi this annoying and clingy?"

" No, I am not. Not right now." Bo said. She paused for a while, her smile gone and the look on her face became serious. " Right now, I am just an ordinary girl, standing right in front of another ordinary girl, telling her that I love her." She said as she gazed into Tamsin's eyes, with their hands holding together tightly.

The look on Bo's face warmed Tamsin. She let out a deep breath. " I love you too." She said in a low voice, kissing Bo on her lips, " Now can we go deal with my trial shit?"

" Of course, anything you say, detective." Bo said, smiling," But where do we start?"

" I was thinking the house we stayed last night." Tamsin said.

" The house? Why?" Bo asked, " I thought we should go talk to the townspeople or something..."

" I don't know. Let's call it...a gut feeling." Tamsin said, "This Wyvern... she attacked us, the townspeople, and took those two kids, but why? I've never heard of a Wyvern taking human prey before. They don't prey on humans or Fae. They eat different types of animals, and they normally just hide in their dens. They only become deadly dangerous when they are provoked...but that bitch just showed up there last night and started to rain fire on us, for no reason..."

" It's a she?"

" Yes, only female Wyverns have the spiky tails that poison people." Tamsin said, " Males are much smaller, and they only do fire attacks. Their scales are far prettier though, very colorful."

" So you think that Wyvern showed up there for a reason." Bo said.

" Well, she definitely didn't just happen to fall from the sky and start burning people to a crisp for no reasonl." Tamsin said as she started to walk out.

" I guess we'll go investigate the house then."

* * *

The house community was a mess, even when seen from a distance. Several houses were torn apart, or burnt, or both. Wood chips, crumbled bricks and shattered glass shards were everywhere. They could easily see how the fire blazed across the ground, because there were a few burnt trails right in front of the house where they stayed last night. And more than half of that house was completely torn down. It looked like a tornado had hit the place, right after a fire.

Yellow crime scene tapes were all over the place, but they haven't seen any police around.

"Wow, talk about how much the damage a Wyvern can do..." Bo murmured. She could feel the cold sweat coming out on her back, when she thought about how lucky they were to escape from being burnt or killed last night.

" Bitch could have burnt this whole town down if she wanted to..." Tamsin sighed, stepping into the ruins. Bo followed her.

" What exactly are we looking for?" Bo said.

" Anything unusual, or out of the blue, or weird, or just catches your eyes." Tamsin said, " Just investigate the crime scene. It's like what we do every fucking day."

" I like the word _we_." Bo said. She saw the Valkyrie rolling her eyes at her, and she laughed.

" Focus, ok?" Tamsin said, " You can do your succubus moves later, when both of our asses are out from this fucking trial."

" Yeah speaking of your trial, I thought this should be like...you know, killing shit, fighting, and stuff."

" Not always." Tamsin said, " Even if it is about killing something, we gotta know what we are dealing with first."

" You mean the Wyvern?"

" No, well, yes. We need to deal with the Wyvern too, but a Wyvern isn't the cause of the drought. We still have the drought monster to deal with."

" Right...so what monsters can cause a drought?" Bo asked as she looked through every piece of trash, or ruin, on the ground.

" Different things. There's Bolla, Kanbo, Batsu, and some other things. Some evil spirits can be powerful enough to cause things like a drought too..." Tamsin said, " It's hard to say. We need to find more evidence before we come to an conclusion. Probably need to go through the public records of this town later, to see if we can find more clues."

" Do you think the Wyvern is somehow connected to the monster?"

" So you are thinking about that too..." Tamsin said, frowning, " Well, I've never heard of Wyverns with connections to a drought monster, but she did take the two tributes with her. I'm not sure why she did that..."

" Maybe she wants to try a new grill recipe." Bo murmured. Then something in the ruins caught her eye. She lowered her body and reached her arm out to pick it up. It was a piece of something, hard, smooth, colorful, a little bigger than her palm. It was not a piece of glass, or any other construction material. Bo flipped it in her hand, and its hue changed under the sun, like a soap bubble.

" What is this?" Bo asked Tamsin.

Tamsin furrowed her eyebrows when she saw that. She took it from Bo's hand and examined it carefully. From the look on her face, Bo knew whatever it was, it was something serious, so she waited patiently for Tamsin's answer.

" This is..." Tamsin said. She lowered her head to sniff the shard in her hand. " The blue-ish green color of it...the smoothness...and the thickness...also with the slight sulfur smell. This is a piece of a Wyvern egg shell."

" Egg shell?" Bo asked, " That Wyvern laid eggs here last night?"

" No." Tamsin said, " Look at the fracture surface, it looks old. There's no yolk or egg white sticking on it either...This piece was broken off from a Wyvern shell a long time ago."

" So this piece was here for a while?"

" It can't be..." Tamsin said, " When we got here last night, I checked every room. If this was here, I would have seen it..."

" Maybe it was buried underneath."

" I see no dirt on it, and I sure didn't smell any either. Also, the ground was burnt, but not plowed. If it was buried underneath, how could it be out like this?"

" Then where did this piece come from?" Bo asked.

Tamsin didn't answer her. She was just lost in her train of thoughts, with that shell piece in her hand. Something occurred to her, but it was like a flash of lightning and gone in an instant from her mind. She couldn't get a hold of it before it just slipped away. She knew whatever it was, it had something to do with the Wyvern and the egg shell piece, but she just couldn't figure it out.

Bo wanted to say something, but before she could, they both heard someone coming from behind.

Both of them turned around, and saw a young police officer standing in front of them. He had a shot gun in his hand, and from the look on his face, he was more nervous than either of them.

Bo took a few steps towards him. Then she realized that she didn't have her succubus power anymore. She stopped awkwardly, and that just startled the police. He loaded his shotgun with his trembling hands, and said, " D-don't move, and-and hands up!" He waved the gun in the air.

Bo slowly raised her hands above her head. " Shit, what do we do now?" She murmured to Tamsin.

Tamsin sighed. She slowly tucked the Wyvern egg shell piece into the back pocket of her pants. Her hands were behind her back when she turned around, so the police didn't notice that at all. " Just let me handle this." Tamsin whispered back, moving her hands to the front and raising them up in the air.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

" Who-who are you people? Can't you two see this is a crime scene?" The young police officer said nervously. His hands were shaking slightly, and sweat coated his face.

" Easy there, buddy." Tamsin said, " I'm a detective."

" Where's your badge then?" The officer said as he stared at Tamsin.

" Look, I'm not lying, Ok?" Tamsin said, " I'm gonna slowly reach my hand into my jacket pocket, and take my badge out, and show it to you, Ok? Just calm down..." She shielded Bo behind her, when she stared at the officer. Holding one hand in front of her, she asked him not to shoot.

The young officer thought about it for a while, before he finally nodded reluctantly.

" You brought your badge with you for the rebirth trial?" Bo whispered to Tamsin, trying to keep her lips still when she was talking, her eyes staring at the man with the gun the whole time.

" Oh, honey, I always have my badge with me." Tamsin whispered back. She slowly reached to her pocket and pull out her badge. After she showed it to the man, he sighed with a great relief and lowered his gun. Then his eyes moved to Bo, his eyebrows frowning, as if he was asking who the hell she was.

" My CI." Tamsin smirked, " We're here, emmm, investigating a case."

" You have absolutely no jurisdiction here." The young officer said.

" We are here off the record, dude." Tamsin lowered her voice, as if she was trying to tell him a secret without anyone else knowing. " See, I have this big fucking case, over twenty dead bodies...and my boss is on my ass for a month now. We chased every clue we had, and all of them led us to an dead end, but one..."

" And it led you two here?" Apparently he started to believe what Tamsin was saying. He lowered his gun again, with a curious look on his face.

" Yeah, but you can't tell anyone, 'cause technically we shouldn't be here." Bo said to him. She winked at Tamsin behind his back.

" What is this big case you are working on? Serial killer? Is it one of those perverted serial killer case?" Questions just started to pop out from his mouth, as he stared at Bo and Tamsin excitedly.

" Sorry, we can't get into any details, but it's huge..." Tamsin said.

" Man!" The man sat down on something beside them, which apparently looked like half of someone's stairs, and said, " I worked here for two years, haven't seen a single dead body yet. Well except every now and then some old people crooked."

" Two years without a homicide? Seriously? "

" Hell yeah. I mean, look at this place, everyone knows everyone. The biggest case we get is like someone's dog went into the neighbor's yard and left poop there, or someone's cat went missing."

" Didn't you have a pile of dead bodies last night?" Tamsin smirked, looking around at the scene.

" Yeah, but it's a fucking meteor strike, doesn't really count, dude." The officer took off his hat and laid it on his knee.

Bo and Tamsin took a glance at each other, before the brunette opened her mouth again, " A meteor strike?"

" Yeah, a huge rock came down from the sky and destroyed the whole place."

" Yeah, that was exactly what happened." Tamsin said, " Why are your guarding this site then?"

" I don't know, just following my orders."

" Have your people processed the scene yet?"

" Oh yeah, they have, last night."

" Shit..." Tamsin cursed in a low voice. She knew that meant whatever evidence that was here, should be already taken to the local police station. It was actually lucky for them to have found the Wyvern egg shell piece. " We probably need to get our hands on whatever they gathered from here last night." She whispered to Bo.

" I don't think they are gonna share that with us." Bo whispered back.

" Who cares?" Tamsin rolled her eyes, " We'll sneak in their evidence room tonight." She turned to face the young police officer, and continued, " Hey what's your name?"

" Mike." He said.

" Hey, listen, Mike, mind if we ask you a few questions?" Tamsin asked.

" Questions?" Mike said, looking confused.

" We'd really appreciate if you could help us. You are local, and you seem really nice, you must know a lot of things that we don't, right?" Bo said.

" Sure, I guess? What do you want to know?"

" What is this tributes thing in this town? I mean, probably none of our business but it might have something to do with our case, you know..."

" Emmm..." Mike hesitated, " If you two are outsiders, I really shouldn't be talking to you about it..."

" Hey, relax." Bo said, stepping a few feet closer to him, " It's just between you and us. We are not gonna tell anyone about this." She looked around, as if she was assuring him that no one would hear them.

" Ok...I guess..." Mike said. He paused for a few seconds, like he was trying to figure out where to start. " It's like this...we have a huge drought that comes every so often, Ok? And the only way to stop it is to provide a Tribute."

" By tribute, you mean kids." Bo said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

" Yeah, it has to be someone under the age of 16."

" And people here just let that happen? Don't you realize that the _tributes_ are someone's daughter or son?"

" Look, I didn't make the rules, Ok?" Mike said. He looked ashamed, with his hat turning in his hands, and his eyes looking down at the ground. " I know how it sounds to people like you guys, coming from outside of this town, but it's for the greater good, Ok? We have to do it, or more people would die."

" So you people just decide to throw some kids to a monster, just to save your own asses?"

" Huh?" Mike looked confused, " Monster? What monster?"

" Emmm...the _thing_ that you people throw them to?"

" No! He's not a monster! Who told you that?" Mike exclaimed, as if he just heard something ridiculous, " He's the Lord of the Rain. Sometimes he gets mad at us, and he won't rain anymore. Like right now, we haven't had a single drop of rain for over three weeks now. And all the meteor strike and stuff...He's mad at us."

Bo frowned. She turned to Tamsin, who was frowning too. " What the fuck is the Lord of the Rain?" Bo whispered to Tamsin.

" Shit, how do I know?" Tamsin whispered back.

" Whatever." Bo said to Mike, " So you people just decide to give some innocent kids to this whatever Rain Lord like this?"

" Hey, like I said, for the greater good, Ok?" Mike said.

" That's bullshit! Why can't you people just man up, kill this damn Lord or whatever?"

" Whoa whoa whoa!" Mike jumped up towards Bo when he heard what Bo said. " Are you crazy?!" He said in a low voice, his eyes staring at Bo. " You can't say things like that here! He's the Lord. He's a God. We can't kill a God. It is our job to make him happy, so he will protect us, and make the land flourish."

" Doesn't sound like a protector to me." Bo said, " Since he eats kids."

" He...he doesn't eat them..." Mike murmured, " He just takes their souls, and they stay with him forever."

" Whatever." Bo said, rolling her eyes, " But still, people here shouldn't be throwing children to something...like this!"

" Hey, they are orphans anyway..." Mike said. His face turned pale, like he couldn't even convince himself.

" Oh, so they are orphans, they are Ok to be sacrificed? Because they have no family, no one?" Bo asked. She could feel her anger bursting out from her chest.

" Hey, I..." Mike muttered, " Look, you see a train coming, and there are two tracks, one has nine kids playing on it, the other has one kid lying there. You can change the train's direction, which way would you choose? Nine, or one?"

" See, that's the problem here!" Bo said, " You choose both!"

" No you can't. Either the train hits the nine kids, or one."

" Yes, you can. You choose to stop the fucking train!" Bo exclaimed

Mike was a little surprised by her answer. He murmured, " No way...no way you can stop the train..."

" There is always a way!" Bo said, " There is always a way. You think you don't have a choice, because you don't want to choose the harder."

" Enough, succulet." Tamsin whispered to Bo. She could tell how angry Bo was, and she didn't want to make the young officer mad. She pulled Bo back a few steps, and said to Mike, " Enough for the train, kids, track crap. Do you know where this...Lord lives?"

" Oh absolutely. He's not far from here actually. Just go that direction and you'll see his temple..." Mike pointed at the mountains behind the community. Then he paused, and said, " Why are you asking me this? You are not..."

" Whatever you think we are going to do, we are not." Tamsin said, " Just thought we should express our gratitude to him while we are here."

" Oh cool." Mike said. He stared at Bo and Tamsin, frowning. " Why do you keep asking me all these questions about the tributes? Is it really related to your case?"

" Oh you have no idea." Tamsin said, " Hey, thanks for the info. We'll go visit the temple now." She shook his hand and slapped him on the shoulder, " You take care, buddy."

" Sure thing. You too." Mike nodded.

Tamsin and Bo walked away from him. After making sure he couldn't hear them anymore, Bo asked, " What now? Are we really going to _express our gratitude_?"

" Yeah, we are gonna go express our gratitude to the mother fucker, after we figure out what it is." Tamsin said, "Most drought monsters have different life cycle. That's why they only require tributes every so often. Let's go and check their public records, newspapers and stuff. If we can figure out the cycle of the monster, we can figure out what it is, and how to kill it." Tamsin said, " Although...the Wyvern thing is still bothering me...It can't be a coincidence. It just can't be... We need to go check the evidence room and see what they took from the scene last night..."

" How about we split up then?"

" No." Tamsin said, " We can't split up right now." She paused a while, hesitating, then added, " I can't...I can't afford losing you again, succulet."

Bo smiled. Knowing that the Valkyrie was worried about her, she felt warm. " Ok, we do this together." Bo said after she kissed her on her lips.

* * *

" What am I looking for exactly?" Bo whispered to Tamsin as they both sat in the town library.

" Local news, anything that mentions a drought, or is related to a drought. List the date and year out, so we can figure out the cycle..."

" God I wish I could just do a search for _drought_ on a computer..." Bo murmured.

" Yeah we need to look at much, much older stuff than the computer." Tamsin said, " The shortest cycle for a drought monster is still 3-5 years. Then you have 10 or 12 years, or even longer..." She stopped talking and furrowed her eyebrows.

" What is it?" Bo asked. She knew something was bothering Tamsin.

" It's just...Drought monsters are always hard to kill, but it would not be something impossible to do." Tamsin said, " I still can't figure out why this trial is impossible. I've killed drought monsters before, so did those who selected this trial..."

" Maybe they got hit by the Wyvern tail, and they were dead in their dreams or something." Bo said.

" Great theory, but Valkyries are not as stupid as you, Ok?" Tamsin retorted.

" Well, I'm still alive and well, aren't I?" Bo smiled.

" Yeah, after you scared the crap out of me, bitch..." Tamsin said, " By the way, what perfect dream did you have when you were poisoned?"

Bo blushed. She thought it was little stupid for a perfect dream to be something like hers, " I...emmm...I dreamed about everyone having breakfast at my place. Kenzi was cooking pancakes, and all the others were there. And you...we...we were together like...we are in a steady relationship or something."

Tamsin huffed out a light laugh. She wanted to mock Bo, but she didn't. Somehow the idea of having a steady relationship of some kind with Bo warmed her. " So your perfect dream involves your pet cooking? You really have low standards, succulet."

Bo smiled, her focus back on the old newspapers. She skimmed through them, one page after another, her eyes searching for anything related to drought. Tamsin was doing the same thing.

After an hour or two, Bo stopped to rub her sore eyes for a bit. " You know, I never pictured your trial like this, reading old newspapers in a library." Bo said, " I thought we'd have more fighting and killing..."

" Yeah, somehow I feel really lucky. 'Cause if we did, you would probably be dead by now..." Tamsin murmured.

" I won't." Bo said, looking at her, " 'Cause you'll always save me."

Tamsin rolled her eyes at her. She would never admit what Bo said was right. She'd always save her, as long as she could. She wanted to say something, but she saw Bo's eyebrows furrowed suddenly.

" Hmmm..." Bo said, " This is weird..." She pointed at the computer screen, " This is the headline of the local newspaper thirteen years ago. They say it's a forest fire...but does it look like one to you?"

" Absolutely not." Tamsin said, " It's definitely a Wyvern attack..." She grabbed the mouse from Bo's hand and browsed the news a few days before and after that day. " And there are some news reports about not raining for three weeks and stuff... Let's keep digging, see if we can find more."

Several hours later, Bo and Tamsin had browsed through the local news of the past sixty years. They found five time periods where the news mentioned about not having rain for a long time. And each time there was a Wyvern attack.

" Well, approximately every twelve years, there was a drought, and a Wyvern attack." Bo said, looking at the notes she had taken down when reading.

" Only Bolla has the cycle of twelve years. The problem is, Bolla's cycle is exactly twelve years, not a single day early, not a single day late. What we have here, is approximately, not precisely."

" Maybe this one is just not that punctual?"

" No, this just doesn't feel right...And with all the Wyvern attacks...We are missing something here..." Tamsin said as she looked through more newspapers. All of a suddenly she stopped.

Bo looked at her. By the look on Tamsin's face, she knew the Valkyrie had seen something important. " What is it?" She asked.

Tamsin turned the monitor a little, so Bo could see it too. It was a follow up report of one of the Wyvern attacks, with a photo of the scene. Tamsin pointed at a woman in the background and said, " I know her..."

" What?"

" Remember I told you someone I knew selected this trial, and she never came back?" Tamsin said, " This is her, Gyra. "

" This is her?" Bo looked at the girl in the photo. The newspaper was thirty years old, and the picture was vague, but she could still tell the girl was tall, blonde, with eyes like a hawk. She was holding her jacket in her hand, her sleeves rolled up, revealing an eagle tattoo on her upper right arm.

" Yeah...We...emmm...Acacia trained both of us when we were young. She's one hell of a tough fighter..." Tamsin said. She paused there for a while, gazing at the photo without saying anything.

Bo let out a deep breath, reaching her hand out. She held the Valkyrie's hand in hers, comforting her. Lowering her head, she laid a kiss on Tamsin's fingers, assuring her silently that everything was gonna be ok.

Tamsin turned to face her. With her empty hand, she caressing Bo's cheek lightly. Resting her forehead on Bo's, Tamsin closed her eyes. " We'll get through this." She murmured, to Bo, and to herself.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Walking out from the library, Bo took a deep breath and stretched herself at the exit, waiting on Tamsin to get out.

" It's getting late..." The Valkyrie said as she stared at the horizon where the sun had set. The purplish blue color of the sky looked so peaceful, so quiet, as if nothing had happened.

" Yeah, police station treasure hunting?" Bo asked, " Although, how are we supposed to get in?"

" Maybe with this?" Tamsin took something out from her pocket and showed it to Bo. It was an access card.

" Where did you get that?" Bo asked in surprise.

" _Borrowed_ from that Mike kid?"

" That was why you shook his hand and slapped him on his shoulder?" Bo said, " I thought it was you trying to be nice."

" Oh sweetheart, I don't touch some stranger for no reason... and I don't do nice." Tamsin smirked at her," Although, we do need a car..."

" I guess we can _borrow_ one from one of those long term parking garages or something..." Bo said, " We'll give it back after we are done..."

* * *

A little over an hour later, they arrived at the local police station. No one was in the building. The guard dozed off at his desk, with a half-eaten pizza in front of him.

" I'm kinda hungry..." Bo whispered to Tamsin as they tiptoed passing the guard. The smell of the pizza made her hungry.

" Just when I thought I wouldn't hear that from you for one day..." Tamsin said to Bo as they walked down the stairs. She threw Bo a couple energy bars. " We'll have pizza when we get home safely, Ok?"

Following the signs, they arrived at the evidence room. It didn't take long for Tamsin to pick the lock. Both them went in and closed the door behind them.

It was deadly quiet in there. Everything was tagged, boxed, or bagged on the shelves. Bo held a flashlight in her hand, letting Tamsin look through the bags and boxes to find the ones the local police gathered last night.

In the vague light, Bo watched Tamsin's profile while the Valkyrie looked through everything to find the evidence the police had collected last night. Her face was covered by shadows, but her eyes were shimmering, like there were stars inside. Feeling Bo's gaze, she turned to Bo and raised her eyebrows. " What the fuck are you looking at, succulet?" She whispered to Bo.

" You." Bo murmured. She lowered the flashlight and kissed the blonde on her lips. She just couldn't help it.

Tamsin almost instantly kissed her back. The soft, sweet kiss lit her up like a fire. She cupped her face in her hands, her fingers slowly caressing her jaw line. Strangely, even without Bo's hunger, the kiss aroused both of them more than ever.

Bo dropped the flashlight on the floor, and it went out. It was completely dark inside the evidence room, and they were doing nothing but kissing each other.

Bo never enjoyed a sweet kiss like this without her succubus power. The taste on Tamsin's lips were so intoxicating, that she had to take a deep breath before continuing.

Tamsin's fingers glided down along Bo's neckline slowly, before they stopped on her collar. Unzipping Bo's jacket with one hand, Tamsin's other hand tucked under Bo's tank top. Feeling the soft, warm skin of Bo's, Tamsin let out a light moan. She peeled Bo's clothes off, her hands caressing the brunette's chest lightly, before she took her bra off too.

Bo moaned when the blonde laid her lips on her nipple. Tamsin stopped, covering her mouth. "Shhhh..." She whispered to her, her eyes gazing into Bo's. Then she stared at Bo's lips, and kissed them again, her fingers circling on Bo's nipples.

Both of them started to take off whatever it was left on the other person's body. Bo's jeans zipper got stuck there for a while, and Tamsin nearly broke it when she pulled it down. Her hand hungrily moved up from Bo's thigh and covered her center. The brunette was already dripping wet. Caressing her clit lightly with her middle finger, Tamsin pressed her lips on Bo's breasts again. Bo gasped hard, grabbing the bars on the shelf with both of her hands. She pressed her back hard against the wall, and bit her lips hard to stop from making any noise.

Tamsin kissed Bo on her lips to muffle her sudden groan as she thrust her fingers into her. She could feel the sex was different than when they both still had their Fae powers. With Bo's hunger gone, it was just pure affection, and longing for each other. She curled her finger inside Bo, hitting that spot of hers. Bo broke the kiss, throwing her head back. She had to bite her own hand to stop from screaming when she climaxed. She contracted around Tamsin's fingers so hard that her legs almost gave out.

Tamsin grabbed her by her waist, so Bo wouldn't fall. She let Bo rest her head on her shoulder for a while, so the brunette could catch her breath.

" Wow..." Bo whispered, " I never knew...that sex could be this tiring..."

Tamsin chuckled, caressing her back. Bo's index finger dragged down on her lips, before she leaned over and kissed her. The blonde kissed her back hard, pressing her chest against Bo's.

Bo spun Tamsin around and pressed her against the wall. She nibbled her bottom lip and pressed herself towards the Valkyrie between her legs, putting her weight on her center. The Valkyrie clenched her lips to stop moaning.

Bo kneeled down, and lifted one legs of Tamsin's on her shoulder. As she tapped her tongue gently on Tamsin's clit, the Valkyrie suddenly grabbed her hair tight and pulled her closer to her core. Bo flicked her tongue on her. She took her clit between her lips and sucked it hard. Seconds later, the blonde's orgasm hit her. It took all she had to stop the screams from coming out, her hands digging into Bo's sculp. Bo grabbed her hips tightly, and pushed her right back to her peak again. This time Tamsin didn't need to muffle her screams anymore, because her voice had left her. She just held Bo's head tight and tensed up.

Bo slowly stood up, her lips laying kisses on every inch of Tamsin's body, till they finally met Tamsin's. They just stood there and kissed each other. " You sure we don't have our powers anymore?" Bo whispered, " Because this was...just amazing..."

" Apparently the only thing on your mind is still sex, with or without your stupid succubus power."

" Says someone who pulled me closer when she..." Bo whispered to Tamsin, chuckling. She hugged the blonde tight and with her head pressed against Tamsin's chest, Bo could hear her heartbeat. She felt so close to her. She felt the energy of the bond connecting them both. Holding Tamin's hand in hers, she put it on her face and closed her eyes. " My Valkyrie..." She murmured.

" Not that I want to stop you..." Tamsin said as she pulled back a little, " Remember what we are doing here?"

Bo giggled. " Alright, detective, let's continue searching for evidence, shall we?"

* * *

" Hey I think this is the pile of stuff they gathered from last night, according to the time stamp on them." Tamsin said as she grabbed a big box down from the shelf. Then she pulled a few bags down too.

Bo put the flashlight between her teeth so she could free both of her hands to sort out the things with Tamsin. Most of the items were personal belongings from the victims, like rings and watches. There were a few pieces of Wyvern scales too. It looked like the monster dropped them during the attack.

" Wonder how they are gonna explain these..." Bo said as she closely examined the scales, " Alien scales from the meteor?"

" I'm actually more interested in how people here are so oblivious about what is happening, and how peacefully they accept the tribute thing." Tamsin said.

" Maybe they just simply don't care." Bo said.

" You, on the other hand, care too much..." Tamsin murmured, as she opened another evidence bag. She frowned when she saw the item inside it. She grabbed Bo's flashlight to get a closer look at it.

Bo leaned over and checked it too. It was a small bag, made of some sort of animal hide and tied up with a thin string. It had some symbols drawn on it.

Tamsin pulled the string loose and opened it. She poured the things inside out on her palm, then she frowned more. There were a few small bones, a bright colored feather, a tiny bunch of some herb, and some pebble-like pieces.

" Are those dried grapes or something?" Bo picked up one of the pebble-like thing.

" Dried hearts of the Volcano Salamanders." Tamsin said. She smirked at Bo when the brunette suddenly dropped it back to her hand.

" What the fuck is this thing? Creepy collections?" Bo asked. She didn't even want to know where those bones were from.

" It's a hex bag."

" You mean like hex bag from a witch?"

" Yeah..." Tamsin said, " The question is, who is the witch, and why did she put the hex bag there?"

" Those are used by witches, cursing people and stuff, right?"

" Not quite. Hex bags are like amplifiers of the witch's power, and different types usually are used in different occasions..." Tamsin said as she examined the hex bag carefully, " I'm no expert on the witchcraft crap, but I do know a thing or two about the hex bags...this one...the feather was from a rare kind of Fae, which produces illusions in the woods and lures the traveler for feeding... then the bones and the herbs are normally used to transfer the witch's power to the hex bag...Then..." She picked up the hearts, "The Volcano Salamander's hearts, represents the essence of them. Do you smell something?"

" Yeah, sulfur." Bo said, " Is it just me, or does it feel like something's burning in the air?"

" Exactly." Tamsin said, " The Volcano Salamander has this strong, burning sulfur smell, just like..." She suddenly stopped, as if something important had just occurred to her.

" Like what?"

" Just the like the smell of a Wyvern egg..." Tamsin said. She took out the egg shell piece from her pocket and examined it with the hearts together. Her eyebrows furrowed together like she was trying to figure something out.

" Ok, so we got witch power media, we got illusion bird feather, and we got a Wyvern egg smell imitator..." Bo murmured. She was cut off by Tamsin. The Valkyrie raised her head and faced Bo, " What did you just say?"

" Witch power media? Illusion bird? Egg imitator?"

" Yes! That's it! The imitator!" Tamsin exclaimed. She immediately realized that she was too loud. She lowered her voice and said, " This hex bag is used as an imitator of a Wyvern egg. I think that's why the Wyvern attacked that community. The bitch thought one of her eggs was there, and she was trying to take it back."

" Wait a minute, so you are saying that the Wyvern thought her egg was there, because someone used this hex bag to create an illusion for her?"

" Yeah, exactly." Tamsin said, " Someone used this hex bag to trick the Wyvern into believing that it was one of her eggs. That's why the Wyvern attacked. The mother Dragons will do everything they can to protect their eggs..."

" So a Wyvern is a type of Dragon?"

" Yeah, Wyverns are in the big family of Dragons. They are much smarter than regular Dragons though..."

" Great, now we have a pissed off mother, who is smart, and thinks that one of her eggs is lost." Bo murmured, " Why isn't she attacking us right now?"

" The witch has to cast the spell in order to make the hex bag work. Right now, we don't have a witch, so we should be safe." Tamsin said. She put the hex bag in her backpack and continued, " The question is, who is the witch, and why did she want to kill all those people..."

" Maybe she's trying to mess with the townspeople?"

" Well, here's the thing. When the Wyvern attack happened that night, there was only us, and the town police force..."

" So you think one of the police officers is the witch?"

" It is possible...but..." Tamsin said, " If you were the witch, and you were a police officer, you wouldn't leave the hex bag there as evidence, right? Even if you dropped it there, you should have retrieved it from the evidence room by now, just so no one would figure it out..."

" Well, maybe someone hid there that night, and cast the spell or something...Maybe she's just messing with us, I mean, the Wyvern took the tributes, that's got to be a mess for this town on the drought, right?"

" That's another weird thing." Tamsin said, " Why did she take them?"

" Maybe she's so pissed off and she just decided to take hostages?" Bo murmured, " We need to save them, after we kill this drought monster."

" It's gonna be a fucking hard mission to save those two kids." Tamsin said, " Wyverns usually build their lair on top of the mountain peaks, preferably snow covered places..."

" But we can do it, right?" Bo asked.

" Yeah, I guess so. When we get there, just grab the kids and run." Tamsin said, " Don't even think about fighting the Wyvern face to face."

" If Wyverns are so smart, maybe we could negotiate with her?"

" Well, can you speak Dragon language? If you can, you are welcome to try." Tamsin smirked at Bo, as she put all the things back on the shelves.

" You can't?"

" I may know a hell of alot things more than you, succulet, but I don't speak Dragon languages. And honestly, I don't think she is in the mood of negotiation." Tamsin said. Then she paused and sighed, " Gyra was able to speak a few, and look at how she ended up..."

" Hey." Bo grabbed Tamsin's waist and pulled her closer, " You said it yourself, we'll get through this, right?"

Tamsin didn't say anything. She just put her arms around Bo's neck, and took a deep breath. Burying her face into Bo's hair, she stayed there for awhile in silence, letting the succubus' warmth comfort her.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Hope everyone enjoys this story so far!**


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Bo and Tamsin rested for a few hours before dawn, then they headed up to the Temple. The woods and the mountains were just so quiet that it felt creepy.

" We can take breaks on the way, Ok?" Tamsin said to Bo as they climbed up, " Since I can't juice you right now."

" What about juicing me without the juice?" Bo asked playfully. She laughed when she saw the blonde roll her eyes at her.

" Remember the map that we found in that old car when we were projected here? The mark on that map? I think that's where the Temple is."

" Makes sense." Bo said, " Since we are the couriers, this must be our destination to send the tributes." She stopped, panting, her hands pressing against her knees.

Tamsin stopped, letting her rest for a while. "You seriously need more exercise, succulet." She said, " You rely too much on your healing skill."

" Maybe..." Bo murmured, still panting. She missed the time when she could just draw Chi out from Tamsin and be good as new, but somehow, being normal with the Valkyrie like this, made her realize just how important the Valkyrie was to her, and how true their feelings for each other were. " Just give me a few minutes, Ok?" She said.

Tamsin nodded. She sat down beside Bo, handing the brunette a bottle of water. Bo took it and started to drink. " How far are we?"

" Not really far, probably another twenty minutes or so, if you don't take any more breaks." Tamsin said, as she looked at the direction they were heading. Knowing that Bo needed some time to rest, she started to think everything through in her mind. Seeing Gyra's photo yesterday, she was a little caught off guard. She felt upset somehow. Maybe because Gyra and she trained together. They might not have been friends, but they had watched each other's back in the battles, and Acacia had kicked their asses so many times in training that she had lost count. That was how she knew Gyra was a skillful warrior. She was not sure what was waiting for her and Bo, since someone like Gyra hadn't completed the trial. She tried hard not to think about it, but it just kept coming back to her.

Then she thought about the drought monster, and the Wyvern. She still couldn't figure out what the connection was between them, but she knew there had to be one. Then her mind went to the hex bag they found. It was from a witch for sure, but she couldn't figure out who she was, or why she would want to lure the Wyvern with a fake egg.

Tamsin tried hard to recall everything she remembered on that night of the Wyvern attack. First they arrived at the community, with those two kids. Then a couple of hours later, the town police arrived. When the police were about to attack them, the Wyvern appeared. Then they ran, and the two kids got into the car, but Wyvern took them away. She already knew it couldn't be a police officer, because the witch would have destroyed or taken the hex bag away already. Then a crazy idea just popped into her head.

" You know..." Tamsin said, " I was thinking about who the witch might be..."

" Yeah me too." Bo said, " It has to be someone at that location that night, right?"

" Yes, and we know it's not a police officer."

" So...?" Bo said. From the look on Tamsin's face, she knew the Valkyrie had already come up with a theory, so she waited for her answer.

" Witches can be really deceiving...what if...the witch wasn't hiding. What if she is just in plain sight?"

" Well, you are not a witch, and neither am I. Unless you are talking about Emma." Bo said, " But she never even opened her eyes. She was unconscious the whole time."

" Like I said, witches can be deceiving..." Tamsin said, " I'm not saying she is, but she could be. That night...when we were...emmm...I mean, when you were..." She blushed when she thought about what she was going to say next. _When you were telling me that you love me._

" You mean when I told you that I love you." Bo said, her tone full of teasing.

" Whatever. That time, we were in the living room, and both kids were in the bedroom." Tamsin said, " Although, if she did do something like casting a spell, that Jacob kid should have seen that."

" Oh I'm not so sure about that." Bo said, " When you told me to check on them, he was in the bathroom when I walked in, so..."

" Shit..." Tamsin said, " Can't rule her out then...She could have done something while he was in there..."

" Well, whether she's the witch or not, it's not our primary concern right now..." Bo said, " Although, if she is really the witch, that would just be fucked up..."

Tamsin didn't say anything. She frowned a little, and paused there for a while, then she suddenly said, " Remember your place getting broken into?"

" Of course, I am gonna fucking kill whoever did it." Bo said, " Why?"

" Just...remember that Dyson said, someone called 911 to report it? Who do you think made that call?"

" How the hell do I know? Concerned neighbors maybe?"

" Do you even have neighbors?"

Bo paused when she heard Tamsin's question. _Right, I don't have fucking neighbors._ She thought. She knew the only neighbors that were around that area were probably the homeless, junkies and criminals. They probably wouldn't report anything to the police even if they had seen something, because most of the time they were the ones the police were after. " Then who made the call?"

" Maybe, the one who broke in?" Tamsin said, " Do you know how many times the one who finds the body is the one who did it?"

" But why? Why would someone report this about their own robbery?"

" I don't know...God I wish we could communicate with Dyson right now. Could tell him to trace the 911 phone call or something..."

" Relax. Dyson probably has already done that. He's a detective too, remember?" Bo said, holding Tamsin's hand in hers. She couldn't believe even during her trial, the Valkyrie was still worried about her break in.

Tamsin wanted to say something, but she heard something coming towards them. The footsteps sounded rapid and heavy. She grabbed Bo and both of them went to hide in the bushes beside the road.

The thing was getting closer and closer. They could hear the noise through the woods, like something tall was walking between the trees and it kept crashing through the branches. Eventually the thing came out from the woods. Bo gasped and she immediately covered her mouth with her hand. She saw a tall monster walking in front of her. The monster had a human form, one head with two arms and two legs, but its skin looked rough and was covered in moss, like the surface of a wet rock. Its face was not human at all. In fact, Bo couldn't tell if it had eyes, a nose, or a mouth. The face of it was like the wet rock surface too. If it wasn't because the thing was moving and had a few pieces of dirty, ragged cloth covering some parts of it body, Bo would mistook it as a huge, weird shaped rock.

_What the fuck is that?_ Bo asked Tamsin silently.

Tamsin shook her head, telling Bo that she had no idea by staring between her and the monster.

The thing moved slowly, slower than average human walking speed, yet its steps were much larger than human's, because it was twice as tall. When passing by the bushes where Tamsin and Bo were hidden, it stopped, its head turning around. Bo heard a sniffing noise coming from it, as if it was trying to detect some sort of smell. For a moment, Bo thought it had found them, but the thing just stayed there for a few seconds, before it moved away.

Watching it disappearing in the trees, Bo opened her eyes wide. She waited for a while before talking because she was afraid that the rock monster would heard them. " Is that our drought monster?" She asked.

" I would guess so, because it was walking towards the direction of the temple, and, how often do you see two monsters living in the same fucking mountain?" Tamsin said.

" How are we going to kill a rock?"

" It maybe look like a rock, but it is definitely not that hard." Tamsin said, " Because when the branches touched its skin, it looked like the skin was still soft like ours."

" Well, since it is a Lord of whatever, would it be immortal?"

" No immortal shit is that fugly, Ok?" Tamsin said, " Come on, let's follow it."

Half an hour or so later, Bo and Tamsin arrived at a big cave entrance. There were some decorative beams outside. It looked like the local people had put a gate to the cave. The rock monster stopped right in front it, turning its head around, as if it was making sure no one was following it. Then it went inside.

" This is the temple? I thought it would be prettier." Bo whispered to Tamsin, drawing her dagger out.

" Is there a pretty picture of the Temple on the map?" Tamsin said as she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, " Stay behind me, Ok?"

" You really don't have to tell me that every time we go fight a monster..."

" Maybe I fucking have to because you never listen to me!" Tamsin shot Bo a cold stare.

Bo rolled her eyes. She followed Tamsin in. The cave was damp and dark. She could hear a dripping sound from somewhere. A strong, nasty smell lingered in the air. Bo had to cover her nose. " What is that smell?"

" Given the fact that our _Lord_ eats human flesh, I'm willing to bet it's the smell of his leftovers." Tamsin said, " Just be careful, don't touch anything."

" Wouldn't if you asked me to." Bo murmured. She turned on the flashlight in her hand because she couldn't see anything anymore now, as they were so deep in the tunnel.

She was prepared to see something gross, but to her surprise, she didn't. It was just some empty, dark cave tunnel, with water dripping everywhere. She heard some vague sounds coming from inside the cave, like some sort of animal growling. The sound kinda creeped her out a little. She tucked herself closer to the Valkyrie.

As they slowly walked into the cave, a dim, vague light started to show. Tamsin grabbed Bo's hand and told her to turn off the flashlight. Bo did. It took awhile for her eyes to get used to the dark, but eventually she could see the light coming from inside the cave. It was flickering, like candle light.

As they walked further, the light got brighter. Finally they came to the end of the tunnel to a large chamber. Hiding behind a rock, Bo and Tamsin looked inside. They saw the rock monster in the middle of the room. A brazier was off to the right. It looked as if it was made from some sort of clay. There were a few crude items in there too, one looked like chair or stool, the other looked like a table, or a desk, or just a platform of some kind. Then Bo saw piles of bones scattering around in the area. A few weapons were littered among the remains too.

" Shit." Tamsin cursed in a low voice when she saw those bones. " I don't know what kind of drought monster this damn thing is, but, if it eats humans, it needs to die."

Bo nodded. " So, what's the plan?"

" How about we just slit its throat?" Tamsin said, standing up.

" Good idea." Bo said.

They both dashed out from behind the rock. Their movements startled the monster. It turned around and faced them. The faceless head tilted to one side a little for a second or two, as if it was trying to figure out what to do. Right before both blades touched its body, the monster growled and waved its arm towards Tamsin and Bo. It knocked both blades from their hands, and the sharp blades cut two long wounds on its arm. For a moment, the thing just looked at the bleeding wounds with no eyes. Bo and Tamsin were both knocked back to the wall.

" Well, good news, it bleeds." Tamsin said, " Bad news, it's fucking strong!" She rolled to the other side and picked up her sword, and threw Bo her dagger. Bo caught it in her hand and stood up. Tamsin charged the monster from behind, slashing her sword towards it. The monster heard her, and grabbed her sword blade in its hand.

" Fuck!" Tamsin cursed. She tried to pull her sword out, but she couldn't. The wet, rough skin of the monster gripped the blade tightly, as if her sword was stuck onto it. Tamsin stopped there, trying everything she could to fight against the monster's grip on the blade of her sword.

" Not a good time for posing, don't you think?" Bo said, stabbing the monster in its stomach. Although the skin of it was soft, it still didn't feel like stabbing any normal human. Bo had to push hard to sink the blade all the way in.

The monster roared, hitting Bo with its other arm. Bo was thrown to the wall, her dagger left inside the monster. She groaned in pain, trying to stand up.

" Damn I wish I still had my power!" Bo said as she rolled away so the monster wouldn't step on her.

" Me too!" Tamsin yelled as she yanked on the sword in her hand, " At least then I wouldn't have to worry about you dying!" She was yanking too hard, the blade broke in the middle. " Shit!" She cursed, throwing the broken sword away, and pulled out her dagger.

The thing grunted in a low voice. It looked at the piece of blade in its hand, and dropped it on the floor.

Bo pulled out her other dagger out, thrusting towards the monster. The monster dodged the attack to one side, and the blade went across its arm. The monster growled loudly, in pain. It swung its wounded arm, and slapped Bo to the wall again.

Tamsin jumped on its back, trying to slit its throat, but the monster shook her off before she could. She fell on the floor, into a pile of bones, and her dagger got trapped inside a ribcage. She tried to get it but her fingers just couldn't fit in. She heard the monster approaching, and the only thing on her mind was to grab something and to knock it back. She lifted the first thing she could get her hands on and swung it at the face of the monster. It was a thighbone and it hit the monster right on its cheek. The monster stepped back.

" Nice choice of weapon." Bo said as she charged the monster. She thrust her dagger at the thing again. The monster roared at her, as it took the brunt of Bo's dagger across its arm. The blade tore its flesh on the right arm, dragging the rag on it down with the tip of her dagger. She fell on the floor, when the monster backhanded her across her face. For a moment she thought she was about to pass out. The she felt something heavy jump on her, before she got up.

The monster straddled her, choking her with both it hands. Just the weight of it made it hard for Bo to breathe. Its faceless head was less than a foot from Bo's. Bo gasped hard, grabbing the wrists of the monster, trying to move those iron-like hands, but she couldn't. She tried to push the monster away, but all of a sudden, she stopped. She turned to Tamsin, trying to say something to her, with her right hand slamming on the ground and her eyes wide open, but she couldn't make a sound.

Tamsin knew it would only take a few minutes before Bo was choked to death, and she wouldn't be able to save her from it because she couldn't juice her. She knew she needed a bigger weapon than her dagger to kill the monster with one hit, and she needed it right now. It was already too late to get the backup swords from her backpack because it was on the other side of the room. Running out of time, Tamsin quickly scanned the floor for a weapon, and she grabbed a nice, big claymore nearby.

Tamsin didn't even give it a thought about why there was a claymore there, or where it came from, or who it belonged to. All she could think about was that if she didn't do something right now, Bo would die. She just gripped the hilt tight and charged the monster.

" NO!" Bo yelled at her, when the blonde pierced the monster's chest with the long blade. The monster screamed in a low, vague voice and loosened the grip on Bo's neck. Bo covered her neck with her right hand and panted. " No!" She yelled at Tamsin, " Tamsin, no!"

Tamsin stared at her, shocked. She didn't know why Bo suddenly told her not to kill the monster. She just instinctively pulled out the claymore and watched the monster drop on the ground, blood pooling under it.

" Tamsin..." Bo said as she tried to stand up, " This...this is not some drought monster. It's

Gyra. She's Gyra!" She pointed at the right arm of the monster, " Look, the eagle tattoo!"

For a moment Tamsin just stood there, staring at the stretched tattoo on the monster's right arm. It was very vague, on the rock surface like skin, but it was indeed Gyra's tattoo. Then her eyes fell on the claymore in her hand, blood still dripping from it. It looked unbelievably familiar. She knew whoever it belonged to, it was forged in Asgard. It was a Valkyrie's weapon. Then she unconsciously turned around and checked the room. There were a few other weapons lying around under those bone remains. Shield, crossbow, short spear, throwing darts, all forged in Asgard. " These...are all Valkyrie's weapons..." Tamsin murmured, dropping the claymore in her hand. She didn't know what else to say, or do. Before she could figure anything out, she felt her heart skip a beat, like something exploded inside her. She covered her chest with her right hand, frowning.

Tamsin turned around and face Bo and Gyra. She was in shock, and couldn't comprehend how Gyra had been turned into a monster, or why there were so many Valkyrie weapons in this cave. She just looked at the monster and Bo, who was as shocked as she was.

A stronger wave of pain hit her chest, Tamsin frowned again. Then she saw something she would never have believed could happen in front of her eyes. The dying monster changed into a girl. The stone like skin disappeared, and its size shrank. A tall, blonde girl appeared on the ground, her eyes closed.

" Gyra! Gyra!" Tamsin grabbed her head and tapped her face, " Hey, Gyra!"

Gyra moaned, her hand covering the wound on her chest. Blood was flowing out. But she did open her eyes. " Tamsin...?" She murmured. She sounded confused, and shocked too.

" Gyra, what happened to you?" Tamsin said as she kneeled down on the ground. She held Gyra's head on her knees, " Tell me..."

" Curse...it's a curse..." Gyra said. She coughed hard, blood spraying on Bo's jacket, but the brunette didn't care. She held her hands on her, trying to relieve her pain. Gyra nodded lightly to her, as if she was saying thank you to Bo.

" Who put a curse on you? Who did it?"

" A w-" Gyra was cut off by a sudden cough. She couldn't finish her sentence. She just lay there, gasping.

" A witch. It's a witch, isn't it? Tell me, who is it? Who is it?!"

Gyra shook her head to Tamsin, but she couldn't say a word.

" Hey, you are gonna be Ok." Bo said. Then she turned to Tamsin, " She's gonna be Ok, right? Right?"

Gyra shook her head again. She inhaled hard and closed her eyes.

" Shit! Shit!" Tamsin cursed, holding Gyra's hand in hers, " Fuck...Fucking...Damn it! Damn it! Tell me, Gyra, talk to me!"

" I am...so sorry, sister..." Gyra murmured in a light voice, so light that Tamsin and Bo could hardly hear her," ...you kill the monster, you...you become...the..." She opened her eyes and looked at Tamsin, her green eyes filled with tears and pain. Then her head fell to one side, before she finished her sentence. Tears dropped from her face, but she couldn't feel them anymore.

" Fuck! Fuck!" Tamsin cursed, hitting the ground with her fist. Before she could figure out what to do, another wave of pain hit her. It was so strong, and it didn't go away this time. She moaned in pain and fell on the ground. The pain inside was tearing her apart, and it was getting stronger. She screamed.

" Tamsin, what's wrong?" Bo was scared by her loud screams. She had never heard Tamsin scream like this, not even when the Valkyrie was seriously injured. She grabbed Tamsin's hand and stared at her face, but the blonde couldn't focus on her. She was completely drowned by the pain she was having right now, and her body was trembling hard. Then slowly, her skin started to change into the rock surface that Gyra once had.

Bo was terrified. Suddenly she understood what Gyra had just said. _You kill the monster, you become the..._ " Oh...no, no, no!" Bo cried, " No! This is not happening! This is not happening!" She held Tamsin tight in her arms and repeated, trying to convinced herself it was just a lie.

The blonde struggled to free herself from Bo's embrace. " Leave!" She squeezed the words out from between her teeth, then she screamed in pain again. Her body started to grow, and her skin started to change, first her arms and legs, then her neck, then her face. " Go!" She pushed Bo hard, throwing the backpack to her, " Go!"

Bo was too scared to move. She watched Tamsin turning into the monster in front of her eyes, a monster that looked exactly like Gyra ten minutes ago. For a moment she thought this was it. Tamsin was going to kill her, and they would die in here together, just like the other Valkyries did. And this was why no one walked out alive from this trial, because once you killed the monster, you became the monster, until the next Valkyrie came in and killed you.

The monster was approaching Bo, her head still shaking. Bo could hardly recognize her as Tamsin, because the blonde she knew was gone. The only thing that was left were her blue eyes. She roared at Bo, growling in a low voice. " Find...the witch...go..." She said, and it soon turned into some meaningless growls and mumbles.

Somehow this simple sentence gave Bo the most courage and strength she needed to move. She jerked up from the ground and started to run. The monster paused for a second or two, before it completely lost its conscious mind and started to chase her.

All Bo could do right now was run. Her tears streaked her face as she ran, not daring to turn around to look at the monster coming after her, because she didn't want to believe it was Tamsin. She knew it was her turn to save her, and she would do anything she could to save her, just like the blonde had done for her.

She heard the monster getting closer and closer, and she just kept running. Then she tripped by a dead tree trunk. Rolling down a steep hillside, she closed her eyes. She tried to grab something to stop herself from falling down, but she couldn't because her mind was so racked by grief and her tears were blinding her. She stopped at last, when she hit a tree on the way down.

Bo blacked out.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Bo found herself at some place dark, damp and cold, but she saw something bright above her. Then she realized that she was in the woods, and the bright thing was the moon. She was walking in the woods, alone.

It was deadly quiet. Bo couldn't hear anything, no bugs, no birds, nothing. She walked for a while, but with the air so foggy and the night so dark, she didn't have an idea where to go. Then she heard something approaching from behind her.

Bo turned around. To her surprise, Gyra was standing there, right in front of her. Her blonde locks fell around her shoulder, her green eyes glinted beneath the moonlight, as well as her shiny silver armor. She had a smile on her face. Bo suddenly had a strange feeling in her heart, like it was not Gyra but Tamsin who was staring at her right now, because the smile somehow reminded her of her Valkyrie.

Thinking about Tamsin, Bo suddenly trembled. Everything that had just happened ran through her mind vividly. How Tamsin had killed the drought monster. How the Valkyrie changed into a monster right in front of her. How Tamsin had pushed her away right before she lost her conscious mind. She wanted to ask Gyra something, but before she opened her mouth, Gyra put her index finger on her lips and shushed her. Then she turned away and started to run. It was very strange for Bo to watch her running with a full set of armor, but making no sound at all.

_Wait!_ Bo yelled. She didn't hear her own voice. Her mouth was open but no sound came out from it. It was just deadly quiet everywhere. She had to follow the blonde because she didn't know what else she could do. She saw her silver armor shining in between the trees and she ran towards it, but every time she thought she was about to catch up with her, she saw the Valkyrie appear at some other place far away.

Eventually Bo lost sight of her. She was frustrated, scared and sad. She kneeled on the ground, completely terrified, and not sure what to do next. She saw her own tears drop on the dirt and disappear. She sobbed. She didn't want to lose Tamsin. She couldn't lose her. Not to a curse, not to anything. She had to save her, but she just didn't know how. For a moment she thought she was screaming for help, not from her throat, but from her heart. She screamed so loud that it almost ripped her chest open. It echoed inside her. She didn't hear it with her ears, but with every cell of her body, and in every corner of her mind.

A gentle hand laid on her shoulder. Bo raised her head, and saw a blonde girl standing beside her. She didn't know her, however, she did recognize the claymore the girl was carrying on her back. Somehow she knew this girl was a Valkyrie as well, because she just looked like one, with her blonde hair, pale skin and shiny eyes. The girl smiled at her gently, but she didn't say anything to her. Instead, she straightened herself and reached her arm out, her index finger pointing at a direction toward the center of the woods, her eyes looking at Bo.

Bo wiped her tears off with her sleeves. She stood up and nodded to the girl. She ran to that direction. On her way, she saw blonde girls standing in the woods, not too far from her. They were all looking at her, some smiling, some concerned, some indifferent. The indifferent looks reminded her a lot of Tamsin. It was the same look she put on, whenever she tried to hide the fact she cared about her, pretending she didn't give a damn.

Bo stopped on the way, looking at them. None of them talked to her. They just watched her, as if they were guarding her. They didn't look real, as if they were some sort of phantoms.

Eventually Bo arrived at a lake. The lake looked so peaceful under the moonlight. In some ways it reminded her the lake behind Valhalla, where Tamsin and her dived in to meet the Archvalkyrie lady. She saw a blonde woman standing right beside the lake, facing away from her. She thought it was Tamsin, but then the woman turned around, and she realized it was Gyra.

" Finally, you are here." She said as she smiled to Bo, her voice light and gentle.

" I thought...you were dead..." Bo said. She suddenly found that she could speak again.

" Yes, this is nothing but a dream." Gyra said.

" Whose dream? Your dream? But you-"

" It's your dream, Bo."

Bo frowned. She looked at her hands, then she looked around. She thought everything was too real and too logical for a dream. " How do you even know my name?"

" Because all of this is happening in your mind, right now." Gyra laughed, as if she couldn't believe Bo just asked that question. " I know everything you know."

" So you are saying I made all these things up? You, and all the other Valkyries?"

" More like, you invited us into your dream..."

" Me? How? Why?"

" Your heart-" Gyra said as she lightly tapped her index finger and her middle finger together on Bo's chest, "- was screaming for help, so we came. Unfortunately, most of us are too weak to do anything, other than appear as a phantom image, because we've been here for too long."

" So you are...you are..." Bo hesitated, because she couldn't find the right word for it. She wanted to say _soul_, but she was not sure if Valkyries had souls. She wanted to say _ghost_, but they all looked so warm and peaceful.

" We are the only energy we had left in this world." Gyra said, " We came for you, to do a last bit of good."

" Ok, then help me, tell me what to do. I need to save Tamsin." Bo said.

Gyra shook her head, " We can't tell you anything you don't already know. We can't think, because we don't have a conscious mind anymore."

" Then you can't tell me who creates this curse either?"

Gyra didn't answer her. She tilted her head to one side and smiled. " Before I died, Tamsin asked me if it was witch, didn't she?"

" Yes." Bo said.

" And I shook my head. How did I look when I shook my head?"

" You looked like you wanted to correct her, but you couldn't speak."

" Why would I want to correct her?"

" Because what she said was wrong?" Bo asked. She wasn't sure why Gyra was asking her all these questions, or, she wasn't sure why she was asking herself these questions in her dreams.

" So it's not a witch, but I did say something that started with a w, didn't I?" Gyra said in a soft voice.

" Yes, you did. Ok, if it's not a witch, what could it be?" Bo murmured as she frowned, " It starts with a w, and we did find a hex bag...what could it be..."

" Think, sweetheart." Gyra smiled at her. The tone when she said sweetheart was exactly the same way Tamsin would say it. " Sometimes something is the other way around..."

Bo thought about what Gyra meant by that for a while, then suddenly something occurred to her. " Start with a w, uses hex bag, but not a witch, and is the other way around... It's a warlock! It's not a she, it's a he!" Bo said, " It's a fucking male witch!"

Gyra nodded at her, smiling. " So who is it?" She asked Bo, " You already know it's not a police officer, because if he was, he would have grabbed the hex bag before you two did, but it has to be someone who was there that night. So, who is most suspicious?"

Bo frowned. An answer appeared in her mind, but at first she couldn't believe it. She shook her head, trying to get rid of it, but she couldn't. " You think Jacob is the warlock? The boy who is the tribute? How? I mean, why?"

" He is certainly a little bit weird, isn't he?"

" How so?" Bo frowned. She thought Jacob was just a normal boy.

" Think about the first time you met him, and the girl. He told you that Emma was like his baby sister, didn't he?"

" Yeah, I remember that. He said they both grew up in the orphanage, and they were close."

" But you did sense something was off, didn't you?"

" No..." Bo said. She thought about that day for a while, then she furrowed her eyebrows, " Although, I think I saw Tamsin frown when she heard him say that."

" Why would Tamsin frown at something like that?"

" Because she doesn't like the lovey-dovey things?"

Gyra laughed. " You, of all the people, should know how caring and loving Tamsin can be. Think, why would Tamsin frown?"

" Because she felt something was wrong..."

" Yes, but what was it?"

" She frowned when she saw him in the rearview mirror...because..." Bo tried remember every bit of the details from that moment, " because even he said how much Emma meant to him, he didn't even show a little concern on his face."

" That's right, sweetheart. There are somethings you just can't fake."

" Also, when we dragged them both out from the trunk, he didn't even go check her to make sure she was Ok. He just asked for water for himself...And she was completely doped, yet he woke up easily. She had injuries on her, but he didn't..." Suddenly things just started flying into Bo's mind. Now, she remembered all the subtle little things that hadn't added up before.

" Now, let's go back to the Mike kid. You and Tamsin talked a lot about the tribute thing with him, right?"

" Yeah, we did. He said it was not a monster, but a God..."

" Yes, he did." Gyra huffed out a light laugh, " Do you remember every time when he mentioned the tribute, which word he used?"

" Tribute?"

" But not tributes, right?" Gyra smiled.

" So..."

" There is only one tribute, right?"

" Well, by tribute he could have meant both of them are as one tribute." Bo said, " That doesn't really mean anything..."

Gyra looked at her, smiling. She paused for a while, then continued, " How about we go back to the night of the Wyvern attack?"

" What about it?"

" When the townspeople showed up, Tamsin told you to check up on the kids, and where was he that time?"

" He was in the bathroom, and he was startled by me." Bo said.

" You actually smelled something that time, but soon things got out of control, and you just forgot about it. Can you remember it now?"

" Yeah, I thought I smelled burning sulfur coming from the bathroom, but I thought it was just because the house was not finished or something..." Bo said, " But it was not, it was the Volcano Salamander hearts, wasn't it?"

Gyra nodded. She smiled at Bo, as if she was praising her. Bo was looking at her too, somehow in her mind, Gyra's image was overlapping with Tamsin, as if it was Tamsin who smiled at her right now.

" So Jacob is really the warlock, and he placed the curse?" Bo said, " How do I reverse the curse?"

" You know there's always one definite way to stop a curse, right?" Gyra said.

" You mean to kill him." Bo said, " Well, how do I kill a warlock?"

" Like you kill all the other bad guys, you defeat him."

" But warlocks are extremely hard to kill. The cast magic and things. I don't think I can do this on my own..."

" No, you can't." Gyra said, " But you do have a powerful ally, don't you?"

" You mean Tamsin? But she turned into this rock monster now, when she sees me, she's probably gonna try and kill me."

Gyra shook her head and sighed. " No, sweetheart, not her. Someone more powerful."

" Who?" Bo frowned.

" Someone who can breathe fire?" Gyra chuckled.

" You mean the Wyvern?" Bo exclaim, " Oh my God, I so want her to be my ally, believe me, but I don't think she is that friendly."

" Sometimes you don't need your ally to be a friend. You just need to have a common interest." Gyra said, " Like for example, a lost egg?"

" You want me to find the lost egg for her, so she will agree to help me?" Bo asked. She couldn't believe her own mind was this crazy in her own dreams.

" How to make a deal, is completely up to you, sweetheart."

" How do I even make a deal with the Wyvern?" Bo said, " By any chance does she speak English? Or maybe a little French?"

Gyra smiled. " Tamsin did tell you that I spoke Dragon language, didn't she?"

" Yeah, but you are just a projection in my head, sister. I created you."

" You didn't create me, sweetheart. I am a force of energy, and you materialized me in your mind. You are a succubus, manipulating dreams is in your blood."

" But I shouldn't be having my ability right now...?"

" You'll find out why, sweetheart, sooner or later." Gyra smiled at her.

" Ok. Whatever..." Bo murmured, " So, Dragon language?"

Gyra smiled at Bo, her eyes blinking. She hugged Bo. Like a warm breeze on a summer night, she held Bo in her arms. Then she laid her fingers on Bo's forehead. A strong energy passed through Bo's body, even in her dreams, she could feel herself trembling. She couldn't take it, and she fell back into the lake. The cold water surrounded her, before she lost her consciousness. Gyra's warm smile was the last thing she could remember.

Bo jerked herself away from the ground, panting hard for air. The downpour fell on her, and she found herself in a pit of water. She coughed hard, water running on her face. She felt cold, and she was trying so hard to catch her breath. The sound of the thunder drowned everything, and the pure white lightning was tearing up the sky.

Bo sat there for a while, gasping with her mouth open. The things that had happened in the past few hours flew through her mind. They found the monster, and Tamsin killed it. Then Tamsin became the monster. Then she ran away, and she fell off the mountain.

Then she had a dream, with all the Valkyries in it. Gyra told her things that she knew, but she wasn't aware that she knew.

Then Bo thought about the last thing Gyra told her. She needed an ally. She needed to persuade the Wyvern to do that. Bo desperately wanted her succubus power back, because she could at least have a shot on the persuasion part.

A loud thunder exploded above her, and Bo was startled. She watched the rain fall for a while, then she dragged the backpack with her and managed to get into a small cave nearby. She had read about warlocks in some of the Trick's books she borrowed from him when preparing for Tamsin's Rebirth Trial. She knew they were similar to witches, only rarer, because the power they held was too powerful, that most of them couldn't handle it for long. Besides common herbal potions and curses like witches used, warlocks were especially good at summoning fire to use in attacks. Bo knew there was no way she could defeat him alone. Convincing the Wyvern was her only shot, if only the Wyvern was not a giant, fire-breathing monster, who was pissed off about her lost egg.

But she knew she had to try. Bo thought about what Tamsin had told her about the Wyvern, that they were smart, and that they lived on the mountain top covered by snow. She looked around, and located the place where Tamsin pointed to her, when she talked about the Wyverns.

Bo lit a fire in the cave. The flames made her warm. She took out a few energy bars from the backpack and ate them. Then she took off her clothes and wrung them dry. A gust came in and she shivered. She knew if Tamsin was here with her right now, she'd embrace her in her arms and warm her up, but she was not here. It was just her, alone. Bo held herself by her knees and moved closer to the fire. Burying her face into her arms, she tried hard not to let her tears fall, because she shouldn't cry right now. She had to be strong. She was the only one that her Valkyrie had left.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Standing on the snowy mountain top, Bo felt her legs shaking. They were sore, almost numb, from climbing up and down so many roads, rocks, and hills. She searched for the Wyvern nest all over the mountains, and this was the last snow covered mountain top. She was standing right in front of a huge cave. Dried tree branches were piled up around the entrance, with vines and rocks. It was exactly like what Tamsin had described to her about a Wyvern's nest, only larger, darker, and with an actual, living Wyvern inside.

Bo took a deep breath. She could still feel her cold sweat on her back, and the wind just made it worse. The wind was so strong on the mountain top, that she thought for a second or two she might fall. She couldn't bring herself to look down because she was afraid that her legs might give out. In fact she couldn't even figure out how she got up here in the first place. She thought maybe those Valkyries were still with her. For a minute or two, she just stood there, staring at the entrance of the cave.

_Ok. Breathe. Breathe. What do I do now?_ Bo asked herself. Outside the cave entrance, there was a small platform covered by inches of snow. Bo paced around, and it was then she realized that she couldn't feel her toes, because her feet had been buried in the snow for a while without moving.

Before Bo had sorted out her thoughts and decided what to do, she heard something coming out from the cave. It sounded like a train, or something equally big. Seconds later, the scaled covered giant monster was in front of her, or more precisely, above her, because she was just huge in size. She was much bigger than Bo remembered, because she was not this close that night. And now Bo watched her flapping her wings angrily right in front of her, with her claws open and her eyes filled with rage. Bo didn't feel cold anymore, instead she felt that she could burst into flames at any time, in the hot breath of the Wyvern's, which smelled like burning sulfur. Bo just stared at the Wyvern, as the Wyvern stared at her. For a second or two, she thought the Wyvern was going to dive down and charge her, knock her down, or to eat her alive, or to burn her, or maybe all of them. She wanted to run, but she couldn't move her legs.

The Wyvern roared. It sounded like loud thunder, and Bo had to cover her ears. The deep breath the Wyvern let out when she roared almost blew Bo away. Bo pressed her back hard against a rock to anchor herself there.

" Hiif! Zu'u meyz wah hiif! (Help! I come to help!)" Bo heard herself yelling. She didn't even recognize that it was her voice until a few seconds later. But it was indeed her, she was talking to the Wyvern, in Dragon language. At first Bo couldn't even understand herself, and words just burst out from her mouth one after another.

The Wyvern stopped roaring. She tilted her head to one side, her dark amber eyes still fixing on Bo's face. She slowly retrieved her wings and landed on the platform, causing a small earthquake, and Bo had to grab the rock next to her in order not to fall.

" Dovahzulaan... Wo los hi? (A Dragon speaker...Who are you?)" The Wyvern said. Bo figured that she must have lowered her voice, because had the monster not, she'd have been deaf by now. It still sounded like thunder, humming in the air.

" Fahdon, nid, grahzeymahzin, grahzeymahzin. (Friend, no, ally, an ally.)" Bo said. She closely observed the look on the Wyvern's face, trying to figure out if the Dragon was still angry at her, or she believed what she just said, though, she had absolutely no idea how to read the expression on a Dragon's face. _Damn I really need to learn more stuff. When we get back alive, I'm gonna force Tamsin to teach me all the shit she knows._ She thought to herself.

The Wyvern stared at her for a while. Maybe a few minutes, or maybe a century long, at least that is how it felt to Bo, when the nose of the monster was only an inch or two from hers. Her eyes were like two full moons in front of her. Bo wanted to close her eyes, and she had to pinch herself so she would keep them open. Apparently the Wyvern didn't believe a word she had said, but she considered her harmless. She didn't burn her, or swallow her alive, or blow her off the edge of the cliff, which were all good signs.

" Zu'u drehni praag grahzeymahzin. (I don't need an ally.)" The Wyvern said, turning away from her, " Lif, us Zu'u fus hi wah. (Leave, before I force you to.)"

" Wait!" Bo yelled. Then she realized that she was speaking English again. She didn't know if the Dragon understood her, but she did see her turning her head back at her. " Kir, gir wah zey. Hi praag dii hiif, ol Zu'u praag hinah. (Please, listen to me. You need my help, as I need yours.)" Bo said as calmly as she could, her eyes never left the monster's.

The Wyvern made a loud noise. Bo thought she either sighed, or she grunted. " Speak your mind, little one." The Dragon said. It took Bo a few seconds to realize that the monster was speaking English to her.

" You...you do speak English...?" Bo asked.

The Wyvern glanced at her. Bo could swear that she rolled her eyes at her, although it was very hard to tell when her eyes were at least twenty feet above the ground.

" Savage language, hurt my tongue." The Wyvern said in a low voice, " Your Dovah sahkren (Dragon tongue) hurt my ears..."

" Oh so you'd rather have your tongue hurting, than your ears?"

The Wyvern growled and raised herself, walking back to her cave.

" Wait! wait! I was just kidding!" Bo said, " I'll be very, very serious, starting from right now. I will be dead serious."

" Speak your mind, little one." The Wyvern repeated. She didn't turn back, nor did she move.

" I...emmm...I have a proposal, which would...emmm...benefit both of us." Bo said.

" By _us_, you mean you." The Wyvern said, glancing at her.

" No, seriously, I mean us." Bo said, " I'll help you find your egg, if you help me defeat a Warlock."

Hearing the word _egg_, the Wyvern became enraged. Before Bo could react, she held Bo between her teeth and soared into the sky. Bo's screaming was drowned in the strong wind. She thought for sure she was going to fall and die when the Wyvern threw her up higher in the air and let her fall.

Then she heard the Wyvern's voice. It was loud and angry. " Who sent you? And what do you know about my lost child?"

" No one! No one sent me! I just know that you've lost your egg, no, your child, and that's all!" Bo yelled with every last bit of strength she still had in her. She wasn't sure if the Wyvern could hear her because of the strong wind, and the echo of the monster's voice in the air. She screamed as loud as she could, hoping the Dragon would fully understand her.

Bo felt herself falling faster and faster, to the point that she was about to throw up. Then she stopped falling. She landed on a hot, hard surface. She opened her eyes a little, and realized that the Dragon caught her on her back. Bo left out a deep breath, but before she could even figure out what to do, the Wyvern rose in the air again. She soared up like a rocket, and threw her off her back in the air again.

" What do you know about my lost child?" The Wyvern asked again, her voice was much more impatient this time. It sounded like the thunders before a summer shower.

" Someone's mimicking it! I mean, him, or her!" Bo yelled. She was not sure if she should beg for her life, or keep trying to convince the monster that she meant no harm and she really needed her help. All she knew was she only had so little time before she fell on the ground and die.

" Who has my child?" The Dragon asked her, when she threw her up in the air and let her fall again.

" I don't know! I don't know!" Bo yelled. She thought for a second or two that maybe if she gave her a fake name or something, the Dragon would at least put her back on the platform and they could have a more civilized conversation, which would not involve anyone falling through the air. But hearing her lamenting inside for her lost child, Bo couldn't lie to her. " Please! I don't know! But I will find out! I swear!"

" I do not believe in swear."The Dragon said as she hovered above her, watching her fall. Bo thought she would catch her again, just like she did before, but she didn't. Bo knew she would hit the ground any second now, and the Dragon had no intention of saving her. She closed her eyes in despair. " Please... I can't lose her...I just can't..." Bo murmured, " I'm the only one she has right now...I have to save her...I have to."

Bo thought she would hit the ground hard, and her back did hit a hard surface, but it was not the ground. She was on the Wyvern's back again, and the monster returned to the platform outside her nest. Before Bo could make any move, the Wyvern lowered her body and let her glide off from her back. Bo shivered when her back touched the snow on the ground. She held her breath for too long that her chest started to hurt, yet she was not sure if she should relieve right now.

The Dragon stood right in front of her. They just stared at each other for a while, when Bo tried everything she could to pacify her pounding heart. " I thought you were a warrior..." The Wyvern said.

At first Bo didn't understand what she meant. Then the strong wind made her face freeze, and she realized that her face was covered by her own tears. She quickly wiped them off with her sleeves.

" Who is _she_?" The Wyvern asked.

" Huh?" Bo was still in shock by what had happened a few minutes ago. Her mind was not stable enough to process any conversation right now.

" You said you can not lose her. Who is _she_?" The Wyvern asked again. She sounded like she could throw Bo off the edge at any time, if Bo didn't answer her honestly.

Bo let out a light sigh. She wasn't sure how to answer the Wyvern's question at first. She paused there for awhile, thinking. " She...emmm...she's...she's the most important person in my life, and I love her. She's...emmm...she's everything to me..."

" Rek los hin lein?"

" Yes. Rek los dii lein. Yes. She's my universe. She's my world. She's my...everything." Bo said. Then she paused for a second or two, and continued, " Wow, I didn't know that in the Dragon language, universe, world and everything was the same word..."

" Of course they are the same thing." The Wyvern said. Instead of looking at Bo, she was staring at the sky, as if she was thinking about something important.

" So...at least you are not gonna kill me now...?" Bo murmured. She wasn't sure what to say.

The Wyvern rolled her eyes at her, with a low growl. " Fear of death...typical. You say she's everything to you, but you are still afraid of death."

" Not that I don't think she's more important than my own life, but if I die, she dies too." Bo said.

The Wyvern watched her for a while, with her eyes narrowed. " A life bond...she's a Valkyrie?"

" Yes. She's a Valkyrie, and we've bonded." Bo said. _In fact, she was the Valkyrie who threw a sword at your eye, if you remember._ She said in her heart.

" And you survived my poison." The Wyvern said to Bo calmly.

Bo immediately realized that the Dragon knew it was Tamsin who threw a sword at her. " Well, sorry for the sword throwing..."

" Swords hurt me far less than your Dovah sahkren to my ears..." The Wyvern said in a low growl.

" So, are we cool?"

" I won't kill you, for now." The Wyvern said, " Not before I know everything you know about my lost child."

" Honestly, I don't know much. We kinda _figured_ that you lost your egg, I mean, your child, because we found a hex bag and a piece of Wyvern egg shell at that place...emmm... you burnt? Tamsin said it mimics the egg's scent, so you would think it was yours." Bo said, taking the two items out from her backpack and showing them to the Wyvern.

The Wyvern carefully examined them. She held them in between her long, sharp claws and lifted them close to her eyes to look at them. Then she poured all the items out from the hex bag into the snow, and looked at one after another. She smelled the piece of the eggshell, and hummed, as if she was thinking about something.

Bo waited patiently for her to speak again. She knew that piece of eggshell had to come from some egg, and she was afraid that the Wyvern would say it was her lost child. Bo was scared that the Wyvern might go crazy on her again, if she ever found out that her lost child was cracked and fried as someone's omelet, but she was more concerned about the Wyvern. She couldn't help but think about how devastated the Dragon would be if her lost child was dead.

" I do not need your pity, little one." The Wyvern said.

" Please, don't read my mind." Bo said, rolling her eyes at the monster.

" I don't read minds, but I can tell what you are thinking by listening to your heart." The Wyvern said, reaching her claw out, and pressing one of them lightly on Bo's chest, " Just like when you fell, your heart screamed for her."

" How can everyone hear my heart screaming?" Bo exclaimed. It was the same thing she was told by Gyra in her dream.

" Because we listen, but you don't." The Wyvern said, " Humans never listen."

" Oh trust me, I am not human. I'm Fae."

" Equally weak and fragile." The Wyvern said, pushing the egg shell shard towards Bo. " this is not from my lost child. This is a very, very old piece." She continued, " It's from my egg."

" Your previous eggs?"

" No. It is from the egg which I was born from."

" Wow, you can tell that by smelling it?"

" No, but I know it is a very old piece, and the only old egg in this space was the egg that I was born from."

" This space...wait a minute." Bo suddenly realized something, " You know this is some sort of ... other space?"

" I most certainly do." The Wyvern said, " This is the Valkyrie Rebirth Trial ground."

" How the f...do you know?" Bo exclaimed. She was totally not sure if she should use the f word in front of the Wyvern.

" Because, I was brought here by a Valkyrie, during her trial."

" What?!" Bo exclaimed again, " Who the hell would bring a Wyvern to a Rebirth trial? I mean, why?"

" Why did you come to me for help?" The Wyvern retorted.

" Emmm...that was because... I dreamed about all the Valkyries souls, or phantoms, or whatever images they were, and this Valkyrie, Gyra, she told me that I needed a powerful ally, like you..."

" Valkyrie souls in your dream...interesting..." The Wyvern said, " You are a succubus."

" Wow, you really know everything?" Bo said.

" I know a lot of things..." The Wyvern said. She paused for a while. Bo thought she wanted to say something else, but she didn't. The Dragon just looked at her for a while, before she raised her head and looked at the rising moon in the sky. " Rest, little one. We have a lot to talk about tomorrow." She stood up and flapped her wings. Bo grabbed the rock, trying to stay still.

The Wyvern walked to her nest, stopping at the entrance. She turned her head around and said, " Unless you want to sleep on the snow."

" What? Oh...Oh, you are inviting me in..." Bo suddenly realized what the Dragon meant. She almost ran after her, because it was freezing outside at night.

The cave was dry and dark, with a strong sulfur smell. The Wyvern drew a line on the ground with her claw. Her nail cut through the rock like a knife cutting through a piece of paper. " Do not cross this line." The Wyvern said to Bo in a low growl, " And rest."

" Wouldn't if you asked me to." Bo murmured, taking her jacket off to cover herself. It was then she realized that how exhausted and worn out she was. She felt asleep in seconds, not even bothered by the sulfur smell, or the low growling sound coming from inside the cave. She thought it was probably some sort of Dragon lullaby, but she could only recognize a few words, like flame, iron or gem. Then she just dwelled in her dream peacefully.

* * *

**A/N: The dragon language in this chapter is from the game: **_The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, _**and I used an online translator for it (from Thuum: The Dragon Language Dictionary) . Thought it might be cool to add some dragon stuff in this story.**

**Tamsin would probably not show up for a few chapters. It would just be Bo trying to rescue her and discover more hidden truth. I know everyone wants to see Valkubus in every chapter, but it's for the story, so, please bear with me :)**

**Thanks for everyone who read and/or reviewed this story. You guys are awesome!**


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Bo felt like she was floating in the air. For some reason, she knew for sure that she was in a dream, but strangely, she felt it was now her own. Why do I think that? She asked herself, confused. Slowly she could tell that whatever it was under her feet, was getting more and more solid, and soon she could feel the ground beneath her. And everything around her became clear and vivid, instead of gray fuzziness.

It was at night, but the moonlight was bright. Instead of the usual silver color, it had a hint of gold in it, giving the darkness a warm glow.

Bo found herself walking in the woods. She could hear her feet stepping on the twigs and the leaves on the ground. She could feel the grass brushing against her shin. Am I not wearing my shoes? She frowned and looked down. She saw herself standing on the ground barefoot. The air was cool, and damp. It was a little bit foggy, but she could still see her way clearly.

She wasn't sure where she was going, or what she was doing. Following her instinct, she just walked, till she arrived at the entrance of a cave.

Bo recognized that place. It was the Temple of the drought monster, where Tamsin and she had been. Hesitating for a while, she went in. It's just a dream, right? She told herself. She couldn't explain why everything felt so real and so logical right now. It was too real for a dream. All things were exactly the same as she remembered, except one thing, when she tried to pull her dagger out, it was not there. She searched herself in the dark tunnel, and found no weapon on her. That was how she knew for sure it was just a dream, because she always carried at least one or two weapons.

The flickering light coming from inside of the cave drew Bo's attention. She slowly walked in, although knowing it was not real, she still prepared for a fight. She was a little bit confused, because she thought for sure she should stay away from the cave, instead of going in, with no weapon on her, and no Tamsin by her side. But somehow, she was drawn to it, like she was certain that she would find something important inside.

Taking the last turn in the tunnel, Bo was finally able to see the inside chamber, where she and Tamsin fought off the monster, who later turned out to be Gyra, a Valkyrie Tamsin once knew. Then Gyra changed back to her human form before she died, and Tamsin turned into the monster taking her place.

Bo remembered the chamber vividly. She remembered that there was a brazier in the corner, and a few pieces of crude furniture. There were skeletons and bones scattered on the ground too. But instead of the chamber she saw the other day, she was shocked to see her own bedroom.

Bo stepped back and checked, she was sure that she was in the cave, but the chamber indeed looked exactly the same as her own bedroom. The bed, the dresser, the night stand, even the broken windows and the cracks on the wall were the same.

Yep. Definitely a dream. Bo said to herself. Then she realized that someone was lying on her bed. She immediately recognize her as Tamsin. The Valkyrie was curled up in her bed, her eyes closed. Her knees were pulled close to her chest, and her arms were in a defensive position near her head. Her face was mostly covered by her hair.

Bo froze there. She was too afraid to go in, because she thought she would wake up before she touched the blonde. But eventually, she walked in. Sitting on the side of her bed, Bo laid her fingers on the blonde's face. She almost immediately pulled them away, because the warmth she felt nearly burnt her.

Tamsin opened her eyes. When she saw Bo, she looked shocked and scared. She almost ran away, but before she could, Bo held her in her arms.

Taking a deep breath, Bo closed her eyes. And when she opened them, everything was still there. The blonde was still in her arms, breathing peacefully and resting her head against Bo's shoulder. She didn't say a word.

After a while, the blonde pulled back a little, with her fingers running slowly on Bo's cheek and lips. Her blue eyes met Bo's brown. Fear and pain flew through her eyes, mixed with the joy and excitement of seeing Bo. Her lips were quivering, as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't. She just leaned over and laid her lips on Bo's.

Bo knew it was just a dream, but she couldn't pull away from the kiss. It all felt so real, just like they had kissed thousands of times before.

Holding the blonde by her waist, Bo lay down with her in bed. She just wanted to be with her like this. She wanted to be as close to the Valkyrie as she could, even if she knew it was just a dream. It felt like nothing had happened. There were no trial, no monsters, no deaths, and they were just cuddling in her bed, like they had done thousands of times before. The blonde rested her forehead against her chest, and her hands grabbing the side of Bo's waist lightly.

" Everything's gonna be Ok." Bo whispered to Tamsin, " I'm gonna get you out, and we'll get back alive. I promise."

" Shhhh..." Tamsin murmured to her, pressing her lips on Bo's again.

Don't wake up. Don't wake up. Don't wake up. Bo repeated to herself. But she felt herself slowly falling asleep. How can I fall asleep in a dream? She asked herself, but she couldn't answer that. The only thing she recognized was the thunder humming outside in the air. She was floating in some dark places again. Two amber colored full moons were above her. They looked very familiar, so familiar that Bo tried everything she could to think about where she had seen them.

Bo opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the Wyvern's face only an inch or two away from hers. Her amber eyes were staring at her. Bo jerked herself up from the ground, almost hitting the Wyvern's nose.

The Wyvern rolled her eyes at her, and then turned away. She stepped back a little, giving Bo enough space to sit up.

Bo let out a deep breath. She shook her head. What she had seen in her dream still vividly flashing through her mind. How she held Tamsin in her arms. How warm the Valkyrie felt. How sweet the kiss was. How they hugged each other. She almost felt like instead of a dream, it was the real thing, and all the monsters, Dragons and things happening here were nothing but a long nightmare.

" Bad dream?" The Wyvern asked. Her voice echoed in the cave, making Bo's ears ring.

" More like a wonderful one..." Bo said, " It's just a little bit too real to be a dream, I guess."

" Of course it seemed real. You are a succubus. You are closely connected to the energy of the dreams." The Wyvern said.

" What do you mean?" Bo asked, confused.

" When other people are dreaming, you can pick up that energy. You can also appear in other people's dreams, or alter them."

Bo suddenly remembered how Gyra had told her in her dream that she could manipulate the dream and materialize those Valkyrie souls. But she had never experienced such a thing before. " So I can control other people's dream now?" She asked.

" You can put your mind as a force of energy, into other people's dream energy. The difference is, your mind is conscious, but people who dream are not. That's why you can direct the dreams to something in your favor." They Wyvern said calmly, " You said it yourself. Valkyrie souls appeared in your dream, and guided you to me."

" Ok...but how could I do that? I mean, the Trial Ground should have masked my Fae power, right?" Bo said, " I wasn't even aware that I could do this before. I've never done such a thing in my life!"

" Never controlled any dreams? Hmmm...interesting." The Wyvern said in a low voice, " You've never done this before?"

" Not that I know of..." Bo said, " Can all succubi do this?"

" More or less, yes." The Wyvern said, " You must be really young... It's possible that this ability of yours had not been activated before you entered the Trial Ground."

" So it's activated now, but the Trial Ground didn't take it away?"

" One of the many small but convenient loopholes of the Valkyrie Rebirth Trial rules." The Dragon said, " Only those abilities that are activated before entering the Trial Ground are masked. Those activated after won't be affected."

" Oh my God. This is so cool...and so weird!" Bo exclaimed, " Can I activate more stuff, like shooting death rays, or lifting a curse or something? Because I kinda really need it right now."

The Wyvern rolled her eyes, shaking her head lightly. She didn't even bother to disagree with Bo.

" I'm guessing that's a no..." Bo murmured, " How come it didn't get activated until now?"

" Because your Valkyrie is in danger right now, and your heart..." The Wyvern said as she lightly pressed one nail of hers on Bo's chest, "...is crying for help. You are extremely emotional right now. The fear you feel of losing her, the urge you feel of wanting to save her, and your love for her. They acted like a key to unlock something you had in your since you were born."

" Ok, so it's like the girl who lifted a 500 pound truck to save her father..." Bo said.

" And the fact that you are bonded with her."

" You think it has something to do with the bond too?"

" Everything is related to the bond, once you've bonded with a Valkyrie." The Wyvern said.

" Sounds like you are really familiar with the Valkyrie stuff."

" Yes, I was brought here by one. Her name was Sylgja, a claymore wielder, which is not common among Valkyries..."

" Wait, claymore..." Bo murmured, frowning, " Long, blonde hair, green eyes, petite? And..." She paused as she tried to remember every detail from her dream the other day where she met Gyra and all the other Valkyries, " A tiny scar on her left eyebrow?"

" You've seen her." The Wyvern said. She sounded concerned.

" In my dreams, with all the other Valkyries." Bo said, " And we found her claymore in the cave, which Tamsin used to kill...to kill the monster..."

The Wyvern turned her head away, as if she was thinking about something. " She has been gone for a long time. It's rare that you can still pick up her energy." She said.

" How long? I mean, how long has she...how long have you been here?"

" Hundreds of years." The Wyvern said, " I was brought here as an egg. Another loophole. An egg is considered an item, but a Wyvern is considered a companion. The former is allowed, while the latter is forbidden. She hatched me here, and I became her battle companion."

" Why did she need a battle companion like a Wyvern?"

" Because no one has ever completed this Trial." The Wyvern said, " She thought the reason for that was there would be some fight that a single Valkyrie could not handle. That's why she brought me. She spent years here, to teach me, and to prepare for everything. Then one day, she said that she had found some clue, and she went alone, because she couldn't afford the risk of me being seen by possible enemies before the battle. She never came back..."

" Probably the monster spotted her, and they fought before she could get back to you. She killed it, and became the monster herself. Then someone killed her, and took over the curse, just like Tamsin did..." Bo said. She went quiet for a while, thinking about her Valkyrie. The look on her face when she dreamed about her hurt her. She looked so vulnerable, so fragile, and so helpless, and it made Bo wonder if the Tamsin that she knew was trapped under the skin of that monster, screaming for help.

The Wyvern let out a low growl. " Tell me about this curse, little one." She said.

" I don't really know much, honestly. All I know is you kill the monster, you becomes the monster. And I think that's why no one was able to completed it, because you become the monster and lose your mind..." Bo said, " You've never had any idea about the monster, the curse and stuff related to the Warlock? I mean, you lived here for hundreds of years now..."

The Wyvern sighed, and it sounded like a gust. " No. Wyverns are extremely excluded. We are born not to care about anything other than our own race. And time passes through my skin very differently. For you it's like years, for me, it's like days. I know how much time has passed since Sylgja disappeared, but it doesn't feel that long to me." She said, " Tell me about this Warlock."

" Well, so far...I think it's a boy. You've met him. That night, you grabbed him, and a girl, from a car and flew away."

" Him?" The Wyvern hummed, " Why would you think he's the Warlock?"

" Well, Tamsin said whoever cast the spell had to be there that night. And we found the hex bag in the evidence room, which means it couldn't be a cop. Then Gyra told me in my dream, that it was not a Witch who used the hex bag. That leaves us...a Warlock. And some other clues here and there, pointing at him..." Bo said, " You didn't eat him, right? 'Cause if you did, the curse should have been cleansed already."

The Wyvern rolled her eyes at Bo, letting out an impatient growl, as if she was not happy about what Bo accused her of doing. " No, I didn't." She said, " After making sure that they didn't have my child, I left them in the woods."

" Why did you grab them in the first place? You sensed something?"

" No, rather than that, after I attacked, I lost the trace of my egg." The Wyvern said, " And I saw them running away, so I thought maybe one of them had my egg."

" Ok, so you let them go..." Bo said, " We need to find him first. Maybe I can talk some sense into his head, making him get rid of the curse or something... the thing I can't understand is, why is he doing this? What good can he have for imitating your egg?"

" Warlocks like chaos." The Wyvern said.

" So you think he's just messing with the townspeople?" Bo murmured, " It's just...something just doesn't add up here...how did he even know you have a lost egg? And where did he get the egg shell piece of yours?"

The Wyvern muttered something, that Bo didn't catch. Then the monster raised her head a little bit, as if she was trying to remember something. " Sylgja kept those pieces close to her. I think they disappeared when she left."

" Makes sense. Maybe somehow the Warlock found them and decided that he should use them." Bo said, " Still...the whole thing is weird..."

" When we find him, you can ask him all the questions you have right now, little one." The Wyvern said, " But we must find him first."

" Yeah, great plan. How the hell are we supposed to find him? I don't even know his name. Well, I guess the name he told me was not his real name anyway. And I guess searching door to door doesn't sound that appealing, huh?"

The Wyvern took a glance at Bo, and made a loud noise. It sounded like she found what Bo had just said amusing. " Hi lost faal Gungnir ko hin haal, vahr fund hi nuft qurnen niigol?" She said.

" What do you mean by I have the Gungnir in my hand, why would I use a normal spear?" Bo said, frowning. She understood every word from the Dragon, yet she didn't know why she suddenly said that to her.

" You hold a great power in you, why don't you use it?" The Wyvern said in a low voice.

" You mean my charms? I don't have them right now. And also, I have to be face to face to a person, to charm them."

" No, hinskaal(dumb)." The Wyvern said impatiently, " Your ability of manipulating other people's dreams. You can enter the Warlock's dreams too. You can even make him dream about something at your will."

" Wow, not that I want to disappoint you..." Bo said, " I wasn't aware of this ability of mine, until like yesterday. And now you are asking me to use it at an advanced level?"

" Doj wah nuft zahkrii ko grah (Learn to use the sword in battle)." The Dragon said.

" I don't even know how to use it. I mean, how do I even control myself to enter his dream instead of the others? How do I even put myself into a dream?" Bo said, " God, this is just so new to me... I don't...I can't..."

" Follow the energy. You know the Warlock. You have met him. You have spoken to him. You have seen his face. You have touched his energy. " The Wyvern said calmly, " And think about your Valkyrie. You have to save her, because she's everything to you, right?"

" Yes, yes she is." Bo said, " And I am all she has left here."

" Now think about the next Valkyrie who enters this Trial Ground. It could be tomorrow, or today, or even right now." The Wyvern said, " You can't save her, if the new Valkyrie finds her and kills her."

Hearing that, Bo was startled. She had never thought about the next Valkyrie who might enter the Trail Ground. And now she panicked. What if someone else came in and tried to kill the drought monster? What if another Valkyrie was already on the way to the Temple? What if she couldn't save Tamsin in time? She suddenly couldn't breathe.

" Now focus, little one." The Wyvern said, " Follow the energy. Find out where he is. That's the only way to save your Valkyrie."

* * *

**A/N: Appearing in people's dreams to seduce the target is one of the abilities of a succubus in the folk lore. In TV show I don't think they exploit such ability for Bo, but I think it's kinda cool, so I decided to use it in my story. **

**Also, there is a little inconsistency between the explanation the Wyvern gave Bo about why she could still have the power to control dreams in the Trial Ground (because it was not activated before she entered the trial ground) and the explanation Gyra gave her (it's a passive skill). This is because when I wrote the previous chapter, I haven't really thought about this dream control thing for Bo. I will go back and change the previous chapter later.**


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Bo found it very hard to fall asleep, when she had to sleep to enter someone's dream. The Wyvern was right beside her, staring at her. With the sulfur smell in the cave, the heat coming from inside of the cave, and the cold wind coming from outside, she could feel herself becoming more and more awake. She felt frustrated, and irritated, not just because she couldn't sleep, but also because she suddenly got really worried about Tamsin. She rolled around on the ground, first facing the inside, then outside the cave. Then she moved towards the entrance for a few minutes, but it was too cold, and the wind kept sending snow to her face. Then she moved inside, but it was too hot, and she felt herself sweating. Moaning in despair, Bo leaned back against the rock wall of the cave and closed her eyes.

The Wyvern let out a impatient growl. She moved away, as if she knew Bo was disturbed by her presence.

Bo watched the Dragon merging into the darkness inside the cave, and she sighed. Sitting on her side, she turned her head to look outside. The snow on the ledge looked so white, and so pure. The reflection of the moonlight made it look like a huge, flat piece of silver, shiny brightly in the darkness of the night. Closing her eyes again, her thoughts drifted to Tamsin. She looked down at her palm. The scar she had from the bonding ritual was long gone, but she could still feel the blonde in her hand, just like that day they bonded, just like last night's dream, just like every time she held her hand in hers. Bo closed her fingers, like she was enclosing Tamsin's fingers in her palm.

_Everything is gonna be Ok. It's my turn to save you._ Bo said in her heart. She slowly drifted into sleep.

* * *

_Where am I?_ Bo asked herself, when she realized that she was standing somewhere she had never been before after a long and tedious journey through fuzzy darkness. She wasn't sure she could really call it a _journey_ since she hadn't seen, heard, or felt anything on her way through the darkness and silence. Just a vague awareness of time passing.

She knew she was trying to get into the Warlock's dream, but she wasn't sure if she was in it or not. She didn't know how to enter other people's dreams willingly. All she did, and all she could think to do, was to whisper, '_please, please, let me in'_ in her heart repeatedly.

_Am I in? Or this is just a dream of mine?_ Bo asked herself as she looked around. It looked like she was standing in the middle of some ancient ruins. She could see the remains of a castle, or some building like a castle, in front of her. The stone structure looked old, and dilapidated. It was the only noticeable thing there, every other piece of land was covered by woods, rocks and in the distance mountains.

Hesitating for a while, Bo finally walked forward. The moment she passed through the gate, she heard the sound of a door closing. Bo was startled, because there was no door there when she walked in. She turned around, and saw the entrance she passed through two seconds ago, now was a wall with a fireplace. The fire was burning, and the firewood was crackling. There was even a painting above the fireplace. The painting made her feel uncomfortable, because all the people in the painting had no eyes, instead there were only two empty sockets on their emotionless faces. They were all lined up, as if they were going somewhere. A dead tree was on the right side of the painting, with a few crows perched in the leafless branches.

_Holy shit!_ Bo exclaimed in her heart. _What is happening?_ She instinctively wanted to find the exit and get out, but she stopped after taking a few steps towards the wall. _There was no exit anyway. _She told herself, _and I am here to find out about the fucking Warlock's whereabouts, so stop trying to run away._

Bo decided to look through everything in the room, since she had no idea what else to do. The room was filled with delicate, antique furniture. They were all in a crimson color, and that made Bo feel depressed somehow. There were flowers in the vases. They looked fresh, like they were just picked minutes ago. The dew was still on the leaves. Bo touched the flower with her fingers. To her surprised, as real as they looked, they felt like rubber or plastic on her skin. She frowned, and leaned over to smell the flower. Instead of the scent of a blooming rose, she smelled wine, oak wood, and something else. _What a weird dream. _Bo thought to herself. Then she looked at those paintings. They were all portraits, of people she didn't know.

Bo checked everything in the room, but she found nothing. She also checked all the doors, which appeared to be leading to other rooms, but when she opened them, every single one of them were blocked by bricks or rocks.

Bo looked at the staircase in the middle, and she decided to walk up. It was then she realized that all the people in those portraits were staring at her. Their eyes were moving after her. Bo stopped in the middle of the staircase, looking back at them, and they all turned their eyes back to stare at somewhere really far away, pretending that they were looking at somewhere else.

Bo sighed. She looked up from the stairs, and saw a long, spiral staircase above her. And there was an attic room with a small, dirty window. The window was covered by dead leaves, shielding the sunlight away. For some reason, Bo felt that there must be something important in that room, so she walked faster.

After a while, Bo stopped, because she realized that no matter how many stairs she climbed up, she wasn't getting any closer to the room. After a few turns she just went right back to where she started.

Bo took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She knew she couldn't reason with anything in here, because this was a dream, and it was not supposed to be logical. _Calm down._ She told herself, _calm down. You can control dreams. You can change things in dreams._

Bo focused her mind fully on the stairs, trying to picture a staircase which did end at some point, instead of an endless one. She was not sure if it was the way to do it, but there was nothing else she could come up with.

Bo opened her eyes after a while. She saw everything around her completely changed. Now she was standing in a crude house, which apparently looked like it had not had maintenance for ages. There was nothing in there, or rather, anything that was once in there had turned into a pile of crap now. The windows were sealed tight with wood panels, and there was a door to the outside. Bo opened it, and was surprised to see that the house was under water, and some invisible force was keeping the water from rushing in. It was then she realized that she heard the sound of the water, but not a sound she would associate with being underwater, instead, it sounded like a creek was nearby. Bo debated in her mind for a while, whether to swim out or stay in the house. Then she decided to search the house first. It was then she noticed that there was a hatch door on the floor. Strangely, as crude as the house looked, the hatch door looked brand new.

_Should I open it?_ Bo asked herself. It reminded her the time she went to find Haley, and met Tamsin in the woods. They went through an underground tunnel, and Tamsin held her hand in the darkness. Bo sighed. _I wish you were here._ She said to herself. She bent over and reached her hand out, trying to open the hatch door. Right before her fingers touched the handle, she saw a hand reaching out from behind her and opening the hatch for her.

Bo opened her eyes wide. She turned around, and saw the person she was just thinking about. Tamsin was standing right there, and she looked just as shocked as Bo.

For a second or two, Bo just stood there, staring at the Valkyrie. She thought she just missed Tamsin so much, that she made the blonde appear in her dream again. She wanted to hold her, but she was afraid that she would just wake up and lose her again, just like last night.

" Where the fuck am I?" Tamsin said. She looked around, confused. Then her eyes turned back to Bo, frowning.

Bo frowned too. " Are you...real?" She said. The way Tamsin talked, as if she was the real deal, instead of an image created by her mind.

" Are you real?" Tamsin asked, her eyebrows furrowed, " And where are we?"

" I think...I think it's a dream...of someone's." Bo said.

" A dream? Well that explains why the house was under water but it is still dry inside..." Tamsin murmured, " Why are we in a dream? Is it some sort of Wyvern poison shit or something?"

" It has nothing to do with that." Bo said, " I think I entered someone's dream, and somehow I dragged you here too."

" And how the fuck did you do that...?" Tamsin murmured, touching the broken table in the room. The table just turned into a fish and swam away. It traveled through the wall, as if there was nothing there. " Oh, great. Now I confirmed that we are in a fucking dream..." Tamsin murmured, " Seriously, how did you do this?"

" Apparently I _activated_ this dream energy manipulation thing here..." Bo said. Her eyes couldn't move away from the blonde.

" Yeah, some succubi do have that sort of ability, just not that common as the Chi sucking, fucking to heal shit...But the Trial Ground was supposed to take your Fae abilities away..." Tamsin said. She stared at Bo, as if she was trying to make sure the brunette was who she said she was.

" Only those that are already activated before entering the Trial Ground." Bo said.

" Wow, looks like you've learned a lot while I've been gone..." Tamsin said as she pulled Bo closer by grabbing her waist. She held Bo in her arms, and gazed into her eyes. With one hand of hers on Bo's face, she lightly caressed Bo's cheek. " Thought you'd have gotten both of us killed by now..." She smirked at Bo, but her eyes were full of love.

Bo took a deep breath and buried her face against the blonde's chest. It was the first time in days that she finally felt the fear that was drowning her, making her legs soft, and her heart pounding. She was too busy running away, or looking for the Dragon, or thinking about the Valkyrie, that she was not aware of this overwhelming fear until right this minute, when the blonde embraced her. She was terrified that she might not be able to save her. Just the thought of losing the Valkyrie forever made her quiver.

Tamsin frowned. She gave Bo a what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-you look, and tilted her head.

Bo held her tightly, as if the Valkyrie would be gone if she didn't. " I miss you." She whispered, " I miss you..."

Tamsin smiled. " I miss you too, succulette." She said, " At least I think I do, because I don't really remember shit. Everything is just foggy. I sometimes think I am conscious inside the monster, but it's like for a split second or so. Then other times I think I remember some things, but most of them don't really make any sense. I was chased by something dark and shapeless but, I kept falling to the ground, then suddenly I found myself as the thing...It's just some weird shit like that..."

" That's because it's not real!" Bo exclaimed, " You are conscious when you are dreaming, or when the monster is dreaming, or whatever...and that's why I can communicate with you in the dream, because in the dream, somehow your mind overwhelms the monster's."

" So I am dreaming right now?" Tamsin said.

" I am afraid so." Bo said, " The question is, whose dream is this?"

They both moved their eyes back to the hatch door. " Shall we go in?" Tamsin asked.

" Sure, unless you want to go out and swim."

" Yeah, I'm gonna go with the hatch, since I clearly didn't pack my swim suit." Tamsin smirked.

" Well you can always swim naked." Bo said, trying hard not to chuckle. She knew it was a dream, and the Tamsin in front of her was just a piece of conscious mind of the blonde, but still, she found the conversation amusing, because she was as real as she ever remembered.

" I'm sure you would like that..." Tamsin said, rolling her eyes at Bo, " Stay behind me, Ok?"

" You know you really don't need to do that every time..." Bo said.

" Yeah, I know. You can take care of yourself, and all that kinda crap..." Tamsin said, her tone full of teasing. Then she pulled Bo close and laid a kiss on her lips." There is another reason I ask you to do so."

" And what that might be?" Bo asked, raising her eyebrows.

" So you can watch my back, succulette." Tamsin said, " Let's go, shall we?"

* * *

" What the fuck..." Tamsin murmured as soon as her feet hit solid ground. The hatch entrance disappeared, and the things around them changed again. They were inside a prison cell, or at least it looked like one. The barred window and the chained door indicated such a conclusion, not to mention the cold stone floor.

" Yeah, it's a dream. There's probably no logic of any kind..." Bo said. She look through the window. A few blooming lilies were out there. Those white flowers looked so pale and lifeless, that they reminded Bo of dead people's face. Other than the lilies, there was just endless darkness, as if they were inside a small cell, floating in space.

Tamsin pulled the door, but it was chain tightly together. She grabbed a stone from the floor and smashed the lock with it, but it didn't work.

" Leave it to the expert." Bo said, pulling the door. She opened it like there was no lock on it. She winked at Tamsin before she walked out.

" Well, since you are an _expert_ now, can you just lead us to whatever it is we are after here?"

" I'm still learning..." Bo said. She tried to make a torch appear in her hand, but the first time it burnt her and disappeared, the second time she just got an unlit one, and the third time nothing happened. She cursed and said, " Damn, I guess this shit does need practice... or maybe I should try something else..." The moment she finished her sentence, the whole place was soon filled with fireflies. They were much bigger than the real thing, and their tails looked like light bulbs.

" Damn, what the fuck did you do?" Tamsin asked.

" I thought light bulb and fireflies popped into my head at the same time..." Bo said.

" Maybe you could have just summoned the sun..." Tamsin said.

" Well, there's only so much a girl could do..." Bo murmured, " Come on, let's go."

They followed the one and the only route out, with those weird light bulb fireflies lighting up the way. For a second or two Bo thought she heard the siren sound of an ambulance from those bugs, but when she asked Tamsin, the Valkyrie looked at her confused. Bo shook her head, and decided to fry the bigger fish that was in front of her right now.

They finally exited the prison, and ended up on top of the roof of a house. The street was filled with angry people. They were all surrounding a fire pit and yelling something. Bo was shocked to see women were tied up on the poles and were being burned alive, yet no one bothered to save them.

" Shit!" Bo cursed. She tried to get down from the roof to help them, but Tamsin grabbed her arm. " It's a dream, remember?" She said, " And this probably is from some old memory or something, 'cause it looks to me like it's during the Witch Hunt era."

" Yeah, I know it's a dream..." Bo said, " Still..." Right after she said that, a downpour fell from the sky and put the fire out, but nothing really changed. The women were still screaming in pain, and the crowd was still yelling in anger. She watched those women's skin blackened, even with no flames burning them.

Tamsin sighed. " See..." She said as she embraced Bo from behind, " It's just a dream..."

Bo nodded. She watched the crowd for a minute or two, then she noticed something. There was a child, who stood out. He was hiding in the corner of a building, behind a fruit booth. He looked real, because unlike those other people who were still doing whatever they were doing before the downpour, he was looking around, like he was trying to find something. But it was not the only reason why Bo noticed him. She also realized that the kid looked a lot like Jacob.

" Over there." Bo said, her eyes still staring at the kid, " I think we are in the correct dream, and that's the Warlock." She was expecting a response from the Valkyrie but she got none. She turned around and realized that Tamsin was not there anymore. " Shit!" Bo cursed. She suddenly felt lonely, and scared. Even if she knew Tamsin was just a piece of dream energy that she had dragged into the Warlock's dream, she still felt the connection between them, and for those brief moments together she had felt safe. For a second or two she froze there, wondering if she would see her again, but she immediately realized that everything solely depended on her to save the Valkyrie right now, and indulging herself in pining away for her bondmate in someone's dream was not what she should be concentrating on. Besides, she knew she had to follow the boy, before she lost him. So she jumped off the roof and ran after him. As she ran along the street, everything changed again. The buildings disappeared along the way. First the color faded, then the buildings disintegrated into bricks, and then the bricks turned into smoke, vanishing into the air, one piece after another. Eventually nothing was left in the world. Everywhere was blank, the only thing Bo could see was the little piece of solid ground under her feet, and she recognized it as the frozen surface of a water body. She could see her own reflection vaguely on it. The boy was right in front of her, with his back facing her. He opened a chest, then a chest inside that chest, then another chest inside. Bo watched him do that for a long time.

" What the fuck is that...and what the fuck just happened?" Tamsin's voice came from behind. Bo turned around and saw the confused Valkyrie frowning at her. Then she disappeared and reappeared again. " Wow! What's going on..." Tamsin said, trying to grab Bo's hand to support herself.

" My best guess? The monster is waking up, and you are losing your conscious mind again..." Bo said.

" This shit needs to be stopped asap. Damn." Tamsin said, " You need- watch out!" Suddenly she exclaimed and grabbed Bo, jerking both of them aside. Bo raised her head after she hit the ground, and saw the boy staring at them with his hand reaching out. A fireball almost hit her, if it wasn't for Tamsin she'd be burning right now.

" Fuck!" Bo cursed, staring at the boy. She pulled her dagger out, but she wasn't sure what was the best way to defeat someone in his own dream.

" Shit, you need-" Tamsin said, but she didn't get to finish her sentence before she vanished. The last thing Bo felt was her warm hand on her waist. Bo was ready to fight, although not sure how. The boy was staring at her, with a surprised look on his face, as if he couldn't believe he was actually seeing them here. He was holding a Wyvern egg in his left hand, his right hand reaching out again.

"The egg!" Bo exclaimed. She could recognize it from the unique color of the shell, that it was indeed a Wyvern egg. It was covered by a thin layer of ice, as if it was frozen. But there was no time for further actions, Bo heard him yelling something at her, then she was hit by a strong wave of air. She flew into the air and blacked out.

Gasping hard, Bo jerked up from the ground. " The Warlock..." She said, " The warlock! I saw him. I saw him in the dream! He...He saw us! He has the egg! I think he has the lost egg!"

* * *

**A/N: Probably one or two more chapter and the Rebirth Trial thing should be done. I feel like I have spent too much time on the Rebirth Trial(wasn't really planning on it but as I wrote shit just came along LOL).**

**Anyway, after the Rebirth Trial, gonna go back and tell the main story, and will pick up with those things I threw out earlier, like the Kitsune killer, Bo's shack got break in and the things about Bo as the chosen one.**

**Thanks for reading this story :D**


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

For a minute or two, Bo just sat there mumbling about the Warlock, the egg and things she saw in the dream. The Wyvern growled loudly in fury when she heard about the egg.

" Tell me everything about my child." The Wyvern said to Bo, as she approached her. Bo could tell that the Wyvern was trying very hard not to breathe fire and cook her into a piece of well-done meat right here right now. The monster flapped her wings restlessly in the cave, knocking pieces of rocks off the wall.

" I saw the Warlock in his dream. He...he had this frozen egg in his hand. I...I think it's a Wyvern egg, but I don't...I can't...I mean, it's just a dream, maybe it is a symbol of some kind, or maybe I just made it up..." Bo said. She was still trying to catch her breath. Then something occurred to her. She raised her head and looked at the Wyvern, " It does make sense though. If he's the one who stole the egg, he can control you and make you be anywhere he wants you to be. I mean, who else could it be? And how come I didn't think of this before! Of course he's the one who stole the egg, and that's how he knew you lost it!"

The Wyvern roared, and her voice echoed in the cave. It was so loud that Bo had to cover her ears. " Stop!" She yelled, but her voice was drowned by it, and she could hardly hear herself. She ran out to the ledge, but it still sounded like thunder. She did everything she could to calm the Dragon, and finally the monster became quite. Bo could see her eyes turned into dark amber, as if flames were burning inside. Sparks came out from her nose, like she could spit out fire at anytime.

" Sos fent kos brehnok. (Blood shall be shed.)" The Dragon said in a low voice. She was about to take off, but Bo stopped her.

" Stop!" Bo said, " You need to calm down! First we need to figure out where he is!"

" Tell me where he is, or I will throw you down!" The Wyvern said angrily.

" I don't fucking know! I would have told you like five minutes ago, if I knew for sure where he is!" Bo said, " We need to analyze every bit of detail in the dream..."

" No! I need to kill him right now!" The Wyvern said, " I'll burn down the houses one after another, until he bathes in my flames."

" No!" Bo said, " Please, you need to calm down! If you really can kill him this way, you don't think he knows? And I think he saw us in his dream. The way he looked at us..." Bo said, " He knows that we are coming for him! We need to know where he is, before we make any moves." She could still remember vividly how the Warlock looked at them in his dream. It was a look filled with anger, surprise, and hatred. She could feel his dream energy fluctuating back then, and she knew the Warlock knew they had found him in his dream. The only thing she could do right now was to find him before he did anything irreversible.

The Wyvern roared again. She hovered above the ledge, as if she was debating whether to take off and put the whole town to flames or listen to Bo. Eventually she landed beside Bo and said, " Tell me everything about the dream."

And so Bo told her every detail in her dream, including her fear of not being able to save Tamsin, and the warm look the Valkyrie gave her when they met, that she was telling her she loved her and missed her without even saying a word. As she narrated, the Wyvern seemed to calm down a little bit. When Bo finished, the Dragon nodded in silence for a long time. Then she said, " If there is anything that can lead to the Warlock, I need to know right now."

" I don't know. Do you know any rundown castle nearby? Or a crude house? Or prison? Those are the only places that I saw. Well there was a street from like the 15th century, I suppose that was not from somewhere here..." Bo said, then she paused a while before she continued, " The last scene...I was standing on top of a frozen lake surface or something..."

" There are a few frozen lakes among the mountains here." The Wyvern said, " If we are to find the specific place, we will need more than that."

" Wow, starting to like the idea of analyzing the dream first, right?" Bo said, staring at her. She was a little bit surprised that the Dragon didn't roar at her, or spray fire somewhere.

The Dragon growled impatiently before she said, " Is there anything else you might have noticed in the dream? It may or may not be something you saw."

" Well, since you mention that...I do remember something weird..." Bo said," The smells… It smelled like sweet fruits, oak wood, wine... Then there was this sound of a creek, and an ambulance... But those can be something symbolic, instead of real, right?"

The Wyvern didn't answer her. She sat there, thinking for a while, before she spoke again. " This place used to have a lot of breweries for wine. There are a lot of abandoned vineyards and cellars all over this town..."

" On it." Bo said, taking the town map out from the backpack. " Thank God I didn't throw this stupid map away..." She murmured as she circled out the breweries on the map. " Ok, then there's the sound of the creek..." She said as she crossed off the ones that were not near any running water, " Ok, we have five left..."

The Wyvern looked at the map, and said, " There is a frozen lake not far from the one on the north side of the town. There is another frozen pond near the one on the north east side. Another frozen lake not very far away from the north west one..."

" Ok, so we start with those..." Bo said, " And the ambulance siren...I think wherever he is, he might be near a hospital? That leaves us the one in the north and the one in the north west..."

" If we fail, I'm going to turn this whole town into flames..." The Wyvern said.

" Speaking of which, how did it exactly happen? How could he have stolen your egg? You left it unattended or something?"

" I do not know." The Wyvern said, " All I know was, one day I woke up, and my child was gone."

" By _gone_ you mean like vanished?" Bo said.

" I am sure no one entered the cave when I was sleeping." The Wyvern said, " For years I searched for my child, but every time I sensed the smell, I found nothing."

" Well, when we find him, you'll have plenty of chances to figure out how he stole it, but we need to get going now." Bo said. She didn't tell the Wyvern that she had this weird feeling in her heart, as if time was somehow crucial right now. She didn't know why she felt this way, but somewhere in her heart, she sensed this fear inside.

" Ok, we'll go to these two places first..."

" No, the north side one first." Bo said, " When we first met him, he told us that they were from an orphanage from the north side of the town. It might be nothing, but when people lie, they tend to add some true details in it..."

" Ok." The Wyvern said in a low voice. Then she lowered her body, letting Bo climb on top of her back.

Sitting on the Wyvern's back, Bo felt very uncomfortable riding on the back of the Dragon, and would have gladly traded her seat with anyone who wanted it as long as the other person's ride was less painful. The Dragon's skin was hard as rock, and almost too hot for a human to sit on even with clothes on. That wasn't even the worst part. There was no place to hold on to. The Wyvern flew very fast and erratically and it was all she could do to not fall off by digging her fingernails into the scales of the Wyvern. She knew her hands were superficially burnt, but she just couldn't care less.

Finally she felt that they were descending and after a strong, bumpy ride, the Wyvern landed on the ground. Bo slid down. She could hardly feel her ass, but she knew it was totally not the time to complain about things like that. She saw that they had landed on another mountain, not too far away from the top. It was one of the snowy mountain tops she had been to when she searched for the Wyvern a few days ago. She immediately felt cold again. The Wyvern rolled her eyes at her when she saw Bo shiver, then she shook her head, as if she couldn't stand how weak Bo was.

" The vineyard." The Wyvern said as she looked down from where they stood. Bo could see dead grapevines poking through weeds that covered the vineyard. " If the grapes are all dead, how come I can smell them in the dream?"

" Human minds...turning something you see to something you can comprehend with your other senses, typical." The Wyvern said, " And those buildings over there are the old breweries."

" The crude house!" Bo exclaimed, " The crude house in the dream looked just like that building, I mean, more shabby of course, but they are very similar."

" And a creek down below." The Dragon said as she waved her right wing downhill.

" Ok, so this means the Warlock was nearby when he had that dream?" Bo said, " Or it just means he knows this place?"

The Wyvern didn't answer her. Instead she moved forward until she came to a stop beside a rock. As Bo watched the Dragon come to a halt, her eyes were drawn to a few flowers nestled right beside her massive tail. They were the same lilies she saw in the dream when Tamsin and her were inside the prison cell. They looked very pale, almost lifeless. The color was so pale, and so lifeless, like they were not flowers but pieces of dead bones of some kind. It made her feel cold." Bone lilies." The Wyvern said in a low voice.

" Oh! Oh! I know that! I've read about that flower!" Bo exclaimed, jumping up, " I read about them in one of my Grandfather's books when I was cramming for Tamsin's Trial! They are called Bone Lily, because of their color, and because they usually grow on burial grounds, or near the houses of witches, or something like that; where the power of evil outweighs the power of good." Pausing for a while, she continued, " and I saw them in his dream...that pale color..."

The Dragon took a glance at her without saying anything. Then she circled around the nearby area, and stopped not too far away from Bo. " Look at this." She said, pointing her claw at the ground. Bo ran to her, and saw a few newly dug holes there. The biggest one was in the center, and all other smaller ones circled around it. The Wyvern dragged her claw in the holes, and finally dug out something.

" What is it?" Bo asked.

" A twig from the yew tree." The Wyvern said, " And it's dried. The only time I have seen someone use a dried yew twig, is in a hex bag..."

" So we are at the right place!" Bo said, " Any idea where he's hiding?"

" He's gone." The Wyvern said. Then she looked around and continued, " If the hex bags were placed in a circle here, and if yew twigs were used in there, it's very likely that he cast a deceptive magic here..."

" A deceptive magic?" Bo was confused, " You mean he hid himself from the others?"

" No, he hid something inside the hole in the middle. And this magic is to make sure no one sees, or hears, or senses the presence of that object...If anyone passed by, all they would see is nothing but what surrounds the object."

"Like an egg..." Bo said, " I mean, think about it. If you can sense the presence of your egg, how come you never found it? And now it all makes sense if he hid it by using this...this magic thing."

The Wyvern roared in anger. Bo thought she was about to get pissed off again, but she didn't. She lowered her head and smelled the big hole, and nodded. " Yes, my child was once here, and it explains why you saw my child covered with ice."

" The frozen egg I saw in the dream." Bo said, " But why covered in ice?"

" To maximize the effect of the deceptive magic. Dragons are creatures of fire, but adding something opposite to it, would suppress its natural smell, or temperature the most."

" But it's not here anymore..." Bo said, " He saw us in his dream, and he knew we were on to him, so he dug it out and took it away...And where might he have gone? " She paused there for a while, then suddenly something occurred to her, and she quivered. And she finally realized why she had this feeling in her heart, as if something terrible was about to happen.

" Speak." They Dragon said in a low voice, when she noticed that Bo had something to say.

" If I were him, and I saw someone in my dream, and I knew they were on my ass, what would I do if I were a Warlock? I would make them go away. But how? He doesn't know where I am, but he _does_ know where Tamsin is..." Bo said. At first she thought she might be thinking too much. Maybe the Warlock just got afraid and ran away, but her gut feeling told her that he was after Tamsin. " We must go to the drought monster's Temple now. I think he's there!" She said to the Wyvern as she jumped on her back.

The Wyvern didn't say a word. She just took off.

* * *

Ignoring the pain coming from her feet because she jumped off the Dragon's back before she landed on the ground, Bo ran towards the cave as fast as she could. Screaming in her heart, she prayed loudly that she was not too late. She ran into the cave chamber, but saw no one there. There was just the remains of the previous Valkyries and their weapons scattered around the chamber, the same as she last saw it when they had killed Gyra.

" She's not here!" Bo yelled to the Wyvern, " She's not here! Oh God, no! Why isn't she here! Why isn't she here?!" She desperately grabbed the scales on the Wyvern's front leg, like she was trying to get an answer out from the huge monster.

" Calm down..." The Wyvern growled. Then she lowered her body, telling Bo to get on her back again. She ran outside and took off, her wings hitting the trees, knocking down the branches and leaves, as if there was a storm.

The Wyvern ascended to the air. Like riding in an elevator that was out of control, Bo felt her heart dropped like a lead ball, and she almost threw up, but she made no complaints. The only thing that was on her mind right now, was finding Tamsin. _Great thing is we are bonded,_ she thought, _so if I'm alive, she's alive too._

" Promise me something!" Bo yelled to the Dragon as she moved closer to her ear, " Promise me that if Tamsin and I die, you are gonna finish the job and kill that bastard!"

" He will be dead." The Dragon said.

Hovering in the air, Bo anxiously searched for any sign of Tamsin. She kept thinking about how the Valkyrie suddenly disappeared from the Warlock's dream. She had not seen her since then, and she already started to miss her, even though it was only an hour or two ago.

A series of movements from the trees down below caught Bo's attention. It looked like someone was passing through the woods, and it was not someone as small as a human." Over there!" Bo said as she reached her arm out, ignoring the fact that she might fall with only one arm holding the Wyvern. She almost dragged the Wyvern's wings so they could turn to that direction.

The Wyvern took a sharp turn in the air, and she tilted her body to one side. Bo exclaimed and grabbed her wing right before she fell off. The Wyvern let out a low grunt, and threw Bo back on her back by waving her wing hard.

Bo felt like it took ages for them to reach that location. The Wyvern landed hard on the ground, and Bo got thrown off her, landing on the ground and on her ass. For a moment she thought she broke her tailbone. But there was no time for that, because she saw the monster that Tamsin turned into standing right in front of her, with the Warlock by her side. The monster posed in an awkward way, which made Bo think there was something wrong, and that thought almost made her heart stop. " What are you doing to her? Don't you hurt her, I swear to God, I swear to all the fucking Gods that if you hurt her, I will-"

The Warlock was startled when he saw them, but, recovered his composure immediately. With a twisted, evil grin on his face, he took something from his bag and threw it to the edge of the cliff. Bo heard the Wyvern growling furiously, and it was then she realized that thing was a Wyvern egg. Without thinking much, she threw herself towards the egg, trying to catch it before it fell off the cliff, but something strange stopped her from falling off.

The egg was past the edge, but it wasn't falling. It was floating in the air. " What the-" Bo said and almost bit her tongue. Then she turned around to look at the Warlock, who was about to burst into laughter.

The Wyvern was about to attack him with her fire storm, but she didn't spit a single flame out. She growled loudly, but made no attempt to do anything else.

" Well, well. Look who's here. Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to have you both killed together..." The Warlock said playfully, " Looks like dragons are not that stupid after all. At least they do know if I die right now, the egg will fall and someone down there will be making a delicious scrambled egg for dinner or even better, an omelet maybe."

The Wyvern growled again, this time full of fury. But it looked like she was scared by what the Warlock had said, and decided not to make any moves.

" Don't do this, Jacob. " Bo said.

" Oh, please, don't call me that. You do know I am not who I said I was, right?"

" Yeah, you got that part right. We found the egg shell piece at the community, and the fucking hex bag at the police station. Then I figured out it wasn't a Witch we were looking for, but a Warlock. You!"

" Not bad, not bad at all." The Warlock clapped his hands, " Except that it's too late, right? Because the Valkyrie here, has already turned into the monster. Boohoo, can't save her."

" I wouldn't be so sure if I were you." Bo said. She tried to make herself sound more confident, but she couldn't stop thinking about what if she really couldn't save Tamsin. "Just give us the egg, and lift the fucking curse, and you might get a chance to walk away." She added.

" Oh please, we both know that once I give you the egg, you new friend here-" Jacob said as he pointed at the Dragon, " –is going to turn me into a fucking kebob."

" Then what do you want? You can't tell me that throwing an egg off the cliff will bring you anything good..."

" I don't care about the damn egg. I don't care about anything. It is the chaotic force that I'm after." He said, as he laughed loudly, " I've been feeding off the chaotic power over the rage of a stupid Dragon mother who lost her egg, and the terrified townspeople who send out human sacrifices to some mysterious, imaginary drought monster... The death, oh the death is the best. Every time someone dies of misery, I feel this strong, dark force flowing to me like a flood..."

" How the fuck did you even steal the egg in the first place?" Bo said.

" See, as a Warlock, I'm truly gifted. I can move things with my mind." The Warlock said as he waved his fingers in the air, and Bo watched the Wyvern egg turning in the air, as if it was spinning on his finger tip. Then the Warlock drew his hand back, and the egg suddenly dropped a few inches. Both Bo and the Wyvern gasped loudly, but, realized that the Warlock was just teasing them, because the egg moved back to where it was, and a loud laughter just burst out from the man's chest.

" So you are telekinetic." Bo said.

" That's right. When I found those egg shell pieces in one of those dumbass Valkyrie's bag, I figure there was a Wyvern somewhere here. Then I found out that she had laid an egg. Oh my, that's like a double Christmas! What could possibly be better than a fire breathing, angry Dragon who is hunting for her egg!"

" And that's why you made those hex bags. You tricked her into attacking those innocent people..."

" They are hardly innocent. No one is innocent. They send poor kids to a monster, just so they can keep their normal lives."

" Where is that Emma girl?" Bo said.

" In the woods?" The man shrugged, " The stupid Dragon dropped us in the woods, and I just watched her die from thirst. Ah, her dying face was the best..."

" You are sick. You need help." Bo said. She loathed him, when she saw the twisted smile on that man's face.

" Whatever, you all are going to die soon anyway." The Warlock said, as if he was talking about the weather, instead of someone's life.

" Since you are so sure, why don't you just tell me about this drought monster then?" Bo said coldly, with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

" I guess I am in a sharing mood today. You two got really close to my secrets, probably closer than any of the dumbass Valkyries before." The man said, " There is no drought monster. Ha, surprise, surprise. There was never a drought monster. I just made it look like one, so I could feed. There are just terrified, stupid townspeople, and miserable, lonely Valkyries, like this one..." He moved his other arm a little, and the rocky look monster twitched with his movement. When he saw the concerned look on Bo's face, he laughed again. " You are worried about her. You two are close, right?"

" That's totally none of your fucking business."

" Ah, what is better than watching two people who love each other die together?"

Bo didn't say anything. She slowly reaching her hand to her dagger. But as soon as her fingers touched the blade, it suddenly flew away.

" Uh uh." The Warlock shook his index finger at Bo, and the dagger she was holding just got out of her hand, flying right into his grasp. He laughed.

Bo wanted to just punch him in the face, but she couldn't move, because an invisible power was controlling her body. It reminded her of Vex's power.

" Now, let's see. Do I want to throw you two off the cliff? Do I want you two to stab each other in the chest? Or do I want you burnt by Dragon flames?" The Warlock murmured, " It would be cool watching you two trying to kill each other, but, less fun because the monster is much stronger than you. Throwing you two off the cliff, worth the try maybe just to hear you two screaming all the way down, but, too short. I guess probably I'll go with Dragon flames then."

" Oh, come on." Bo said, " You think you can pull your telekinesis shit on the Wyvern? Last time I heard, Dragons are immune to magic."

" Indeed they are. But didn't I tell you that Dragons are extremely single minded creatures? That they'll do anything they can to protect their eggs?" The Warlock said, " Either she kills me, or she kills you two, but she knows that she can't kill me, right?" He said, stepping back to give the Dragon some room to spit her flames.

" Or maybe she'll take the chance to kill you and grab her egg." Bo said. She stared at the Warlock, then her eyes moved to the Wyvern. She desperately hoped that the Wyvern would be on her side right now, because she really couldn't afford her to defect. The Wyvern had done nothing but help her for the past few days, but Bo knew they were hardly friends. She knew she shouldn't keep her expectations too high, but she couldn't help it.

" I don't think the poor mother will have enough time." The Warlock said, " I am a Warlock, which means I have a pretty strong resistance to fire. It takes longer to kill me with fire, than the egg to fall to the ground. I don't think the mother would want a child with its yolk flowing everywhere."

Bo didn't say a word, because she saw the Wyvern stepping closer to her. Fear seized her heart. She wanted to plead, but then she thought about the conversation that she and the Wyvern had, when she told her Tamsin was everything to her. She knew her child was everything to her too, and she knew she had no chance of winning this battle.

" Lookey, lookey, the mother has made her decision." The Warlock said, clapping his hands, " Just like I said, nothing beats the egg to a Dragon."

Bo took a deep breath. She knew there was only one thing she could do. Just like Gyra told her in that dream of hers, that she needed something to convinced the Wyvern to be her ally, and right now, there was only one thing that could turn everything around.

The egg.

Bo dashed towards the egg, thinking maybe she could hold it so it won't fall. But right before her fingers touched it, she found herself frozen at the edge of the cliff. She couldn't move her body, and she heard the Warlock laughing again.

" I thought you knew that I am telekinetic?" The man said playfully. Then he clicked his finger, and suddenly the monster flew to her side. Bo turned to her. She couldn't see anything on it that resembled Tamsin, but she knew the Valkyrie was in there somewhere. When the monster was asleep, the Valkyrie met her in dreams, and she hadn't change a bit. But now, Bo didn't know if she was even awake in there, and she thought it didn't matter anymore, because once the Dragon attacked them, nothing would ever matter anymore.

The Wyvern tilted her head back, as if she was about to breathe fire. Bo closed her eyes. Subconsiously, she reached her hand out, and before she even realized what she was doing, she held the monster's hand in hers. She knew Tamsin was in there, somewhere, awake or sleeping, and it just didn't matter anymore. She waited for the hot, burning breathe of the Dragon's, but it never came. Opening her eyes, Bo frowned at the Wyvern. Then her eyes immediately turned to the egg, which was still floating in the air. The next thing she knew the Wyvern had turned around and was sprayed fire onto the Warlock. The man was caught off guard, and his control over everything was lifted.

The second Bo felt she was in control of her own body again, she threw herself to the egg, catching it with both of her hands. Then she realized that she had dived off the cliff, and there was no way she could get back there. _Fuck! What did I just do?! _Bo exclaimed in her heart. She felt herself falling like a rock, with nothing to grab on to, or nowhere else to go.

When she just gave up every hope, she felt herself stopping in the air. Then she realized that someone had grabbed her ankle. With her body upside down in the air, she raised her head and realized that it was the drought monster who had grabbed her.

Bo let out a deep breath, but before her crazy heart beats had a chance to settle down, the monster growled in confusion, and shook its head hard. It let go of Bo, grabbing its head with both hands. Bo totally didn't expect that. She screamed, losing her hold on the egg. The egg just dropped.

" No!" Bo yelled, reaching her hand to grab it, but it was too late. Her fingers brushed across the shell, and it was gone. Before she could scream again for her own fall, the monster grabbed her again. Its rocky body almost reached out entirely from the edge, and its other arm gripped tightly to a tree on the cliff's edge.

Bo gasped hard, praying so hard that it wouldn't let her fall again. Then she saw the monster's shape shifting, just like the other day when they had killed Gyra. After a few seconds, Tamsin's face showed in front of her, not a hair more, not a hair less. It was the Valkyrie she had always known, and loved.

" God damn it, Bo! The second I'm not with you, there you are, throwing yourself to the bottom of a cliff!" Tamsin yelled, pulling her up.

Standing on the ground, Bo made sure she grabbed the tree beside her before she even tried to catch her breath. Then she just held the blonde in her arms as hard as she could, as if the next second the blonde would just be gone forever. She couldn't feel her legs, and her heart beat like crazy and all she could do was to hold the Valkyrie. " You're Ok. You're Ok..." She whispered, " I love you. I love you. I love you."

" Lovey-dovey moments later, Ok?" Tamsin said, but she put her arms around Bo's waist, " First of all, am I dreaming? Did you pull me into one of those succubus dreams shit again?"

" No, we are not. This is totally real." Bo said.

" Then why is there a Wyvern staring at us?" Tamsin said.

Hearing the word Wyvern, Bo suddenly recalled what had just happened. She pulled back and looked at the Wyvern, who was standing there, with a burnt corpse in front of her. Bo couldn't recognize him as the Warlock, because now he was nothing but a blackened pillar.

" I...I am so sorry..." Bo said, " I...I..." She couldn't find the right words to express how sorry she was. She thought the Wyvern was going to be furious, or crazy, or at least sad, but strangely, she sensed none of that from the Dragon.

Bo frowned, thinking maybe the Wyvern was in shock and that she couldn't react to the death of her baby. Then she heard something from below the cliff's edge. It was a whooshing sound, like something flapping. For a second or two, Bo thought it might be a big bird or something. The next minute she opened her eyes wide, staring at this mini Wyvern flapping his small wings in the air. Unlike his mother's dark amber eyes, his eyes were as light as honey, and his scales were lighter too. He maneuvered in the air, left to right, back and forth, as if he just couldn't stop moving. He stared at Bo and Tamsin curiously, and dashed to them to take a closer look. Then it dived to his mother, and the mother embraced it with her claws and her flames.

For a while, Bo and Tamsin were just too startled to say, or do, anything. They just watched the mother and child moment with their hands clasped together.

" You...you knew the egg was going to hatch? You knew about that, right?!" Bo finally exclaimed, " That's why you decided to burn the Warlock instead of us?!"

The Wyvern growled. " I didn't know for sure." She said calmly," And I thought you wouldn't drop it."

" Yeah about that..." Bo murmured. Then she suddenly lost her words. She huffed out a light laugh, and finally let out the deep breath she had been holding in her chest.

" Made some new friends while I was gone?" Tamsin whispered to her, her tone full of teasing.

" You know me. Always get what I want through my charms." Bo said, leaning over to give her a kiss on her lips. Then she stared at the blonde and said, " Are you Ok? Do you feel ok? Are you injured?"

" Yes, yes, and no." Tamsin said, grinning. She held Bo to her chest tight, and took a deep breath. " God...I fucking missed you...I was like on and off, on and off on my own mind inside that monster, but sometimes, I think I did hear your voice, and I kept holding on to it, just so I can keep maybe this last piece of clear mind or something..."

Bo said nothing, but hugged her tight. Only she knew how much she missed having the Valkyrie in her arms, and more importantly, she missed having her by her side. They spent quite a while, just standing there, hugging each other, while the Wyvern was catching up with her child.

Eventually, they broke off the hug, because they had more pressing things to deal with.

" So...your Trial, what now?" Bo said, " Are we done? Or is there more killing to do?"

" I wouldn't know, unless..." Tamsin said, " Where is the backpack?"

" Emmm...I think I may have left it at the Dragon's place..."

" Wow, did the Dragon invite you to a sleepover or something?" Tamsin said, pulling her close.

" Why? Are you jealous?" Bo retorted, smiling.

" Hmmm...why should I be?" The Valkyrie grinned again, kissing her on her lips.

" I thought you two had more important thing to deal with." The Wyvern said. Then she turned around and lowered her body, telling them to get on her back.

" Wanna join me for a Dragon ride?" Bo asked Tamsin , holding her hand in hers.

" Sure. What the hell." Tamsin rolled her eyes.

* * *

After a much smoother, yet still somewhat bumpy ride, with the young Wyvern flying around them like a satellite, they had finally arrived at the Wyvern's cave entrance. Bo slid down and went to grab the backpack. Tamsin took it over, and opened it.

" What are you looking for?" Bo said, " More instructions in there or something?"

" Remember the pebble we got for the Trial selection? If we finish our Trial successfully..." Tamsin said as she searched through the items in the bag. Then she opened her palm and continued, " It will glow."

Bo saw the pebble in her hand, and now it was glowing brightly with a deep, dark blue color. Both of them just froze there for a second or two, before they were both overcome with joy and began screaming and yelling in excitement. Then they suddenly both went quiet, and stared at each other for a while. Both of them were about to burst into tears, but then both of them just started to laugh.

Then their lips met, and there were no more words. They kissed each other, all lips and tongues, like they had never kissed before.

Eventually they pulled away for air, and they looked at the pebble again, to make sure it was real, and that the Trial was over, and they were in fact alive, with no missing arms or legs. The things that had happened during the Trial now seemed like a dream, although, an awfully vivid one.

" So...we are leaving?" Bo suddenly felt like it was almost too good to be true.

" Yes, we are leaving." Tamsin said.

The Wyvern looked at them, and she knew they were done with the Trial. She moved closer and said," Vonok."

" What's she saying?" Tamsin whispered to Bo.

" Farewell." Bo said. Then she turned to the Wyvern and said, " Hey, thanks for everything. I...I don't even know your name. I mean...do you even have a name?"

" Zov." The Wyvern said, " It's Zov." She took a glance at Tamsin, and added, " It means Spark." Then she turned back to Bo again, and continued, "You do not need to thank me, for we are nothing but friends now."

" Cool..." Bo said, " Just...keep an eye on your child, and never lose him, or her, again, Ok?"

The Wyvern rolled her eyes at Bo, then she said, " Keep an eye on your Valkyrie, and never lose her again." She paused for a few seconds, and continued, " And keep that pure heart of yours, don't ever lose it."

Bo nodded, holding Tamsin's hand in hers. They watched the Wyvern take off with her child, and soared in the sky. They flew very high, until they just looked like two big birds. Bo vaguely heard Zov's voice floating down from high in the air, " I hope I never see you again, little one. Vonok."

" Vonok." Bo and Tamsin both murmured. Then they turned to face each other. They couldn't stop smiling.

" How are we leaving then?" Bo asked.

Tamsin smirked. She pulled Bo's right hand close and laid it on her own, with the pebble between them. The moment both of their hands touched the pebble, a strong, bright glow suddenly burst forth from between their clasped hands. Everything around them became blurry and vague, as they started fading away. Bo felt a strong vertigo hit her, and she had to grab Tamsin's hand tightly in order not to fall. She felt space and time warping around her, as they passed through a strong source of energy.

And when the dizzy feeling was gone, she found herself standing in someplace familiar.

" Whoa." Bo exclaimed, trying to keep on her feet, " We are back in...your dorm in Asgard?"

* * *

**A/N: Finally, the Trial is over! I planned like 5 chaps for this part originally, but apparently I spent way too much time on it. Now the story will be back to solve the previous problems they have, and probably with some Valkubus fluff. **

**Thanks for all who read/reviewed this story :)**


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

" Why? You think we'd return to somewhere fancier?" Tamsin asked Bo as she sat down on her bed. She felt a little bit shaky, because the all the adrenaline was now cleared out from her system.

" No, just thought we'd be returned back to your apartment or something, like where we left from..." Bo said. Then she paused when she thought about the day they left Tamsin's apartment for the Trial. It seemed like a very long time ago.

" Whoa, it feels like we've been in the fucking Trial for ages, and apparently I haven't had a shower for days."

" You know where the shower is." Tamsin smirked.

" Can I get a Valkyrie to accompany me in the shower?" Bo stood in between Tamsin's legs, staring down at the blonde.

" Why do you need a Valkyrie in your shower with you?" Tamsin asked, her eyebrows rose and a smile was forming on her face.

" Because...I got my hunger back, and I haven't fed for days, and..." Bo lowered her head, giving the blonde a kiss, "...I really missed you."

" Well...why don't I take care of that then..." Tamsin whispered. Kissing Bo back, she lifted her tank top and pulled it off over her head. With one of her hands unbuttoning Bo's pants, while the other unhooked Bo's bra.

Bo moaned. The moment they had gotten back, her hunger had returned to her, and it was spiking because she was so close to the blonde right now. The sexual energy, amplified by the bond, flew around them, drowning her like warm water, making her want more. Ripping Tamsin's clothes off, Bo kissed her hard. Both of them rushed into the shower as they both ran their hands hungrily and eagerly over each other's skin . By the time one of them turned on the hot water, they were already pressing their bodies tightly together. Hands between each other's legs, lips on each other's chests, it didn't take much time for them to reach their first orgasm together and not caring if anyone could hear them, neither one of them suppressed their screams. Holding tight, they buried their faces in each other's neck. Basking in the joy of being alive and finally admitting their love for each other with all the pain of the Trial behind them, Bo and Tamsin wanted nothing more than to stay like this forever.

The shower ran out of hot water fast, and they jumped out when the cold water suddenly hit them. Tamsin grabbed the towel, and wrapped both in it. They started to dry themselves, but then they just continued to explore each other's body. The towel dropped on the floor, pooling around their feet, and their hair was still dripping water. Their lips never parted, when they tried to make their way to Tamsin's bed. Bo pinned Tamsin to the wall right beside the bed, chuckling. She gazed into the blonde's eyes, before her eyes fell on those lips again. Then she caressed them with her thumb, before she leaned over and kissed them. Moving her fingers down, she rubbed the Valkyrie's clit, and sent her back to her peak again. She never let go of Tamsin's hand. The blonde gasped loudly, and spun Bo around. They both lost balance and fell on the bed. They giggled and thrust into each again. There were screams and gasps mixed with moans and groans as they gave each other one amazing orgasm after another, till both of them desperately needed air, and some rest.

They eventually laid back on the bed, with their arms around each other's waists. They looked at one another giggling, then soon became quiet as they tightly held on to one another and buried themselves in each other's embrace.

Bo pulled Tamsin's hand close, and laid a kiss on her fingers. Then she caressed her hair slowly. The bed was small, and uncomfortable, but she had never felt this happy before. For the first time in weeks, with no monster chasing them, no battles to be won or blood to be shed, Bo felt clean, dry and relaxed. Holding the blonde close, she felt that she had everything she ever wanted right here in her arms.

" So, this is it, right? Your Trial is over, right?" Bo whispered to Tamsin. She just wanted to make sure.

" Trial, yes. But there's one last thing I need to do, before my rebirth."

" Does this one last thing involving killing shit?" Bo asked.

" No." Tamsin smiled, her fingers running on Bo's soft skin, " I need to sleep here tonight."

" Ok..." Bo said, " Just to make sure...by _sleep here tonight_, you mean just sleep here, not sleep with someone else, or anything like that, right?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes at Bo. " God, Bo. This is the Valhalla, not a whore house. Besides, why would you think the last step of my rebirth would be to sleep with someone else?!"

" Well, shit. What do I know? I'm a baby Fae, remember?" Bo said.

" I just need to sleep here, in my dorm, in this bed, tonight. Then tomorrow morning, when I wake up, I'll be reborn."

" So tomorrow morning, it's a new life cycle for you, and no more dying Valkyrie?"

" No more dying Valkyrie, until the end of my next life cycle." Tamsin said.

" Ok...emmm...you are going to remember me, right?" Bo said.

" God, Bo!" Tamsin exclaimed, " I thought we already went over this fucking shit! Yes, if there is one thing I will remember after my rebirth, it's gonna be fucking you, Ok?"

" Just want to make sure..." Bo murmured. Holding Tamsin tightly in her arms, she kissed her on her forehead, " I'll be here, when you wake up." She felt the blonde stiffened a little in her arms when she said that, so she looked at her, confused. " You Ok?"

" Yeah." Tamsin huffed out a light laugh, " It's just...I've never...there's never...there's never been anyone with me during my rebirth before, and it just feels..." She didn't finish her sentence, because she suddenly didn't know which word to use exactly. She didn't want to sound cheesy by just using some word like _good_, or _great_, because they weren't even close to what she was feeling right now.

" Well..." Bo said, " You better get used to it now, because I'm gonna be in every Rebirth Trial of yours from now on, and I'll always be here."

" Ok..." Tamsin said, tucking herself closer to Bo. She had never felt like this before. Whenever she finished her Rebirth Trial before, it was just exhaustion, weariness, and injuries, with nothing to look forward to, nor anyone to share her life with. When she lay down, she knew it wouldn't make much difference when she got up the next morning, because everything would just be the same. But now, with the succubus beside her, everything seemed different. She knew for sure the first thing she would see tomorrow morning was Bo's warm, brown eyes, and the first thing she would feel was Bo's soft hands on her skin. She knew for sure, that the brunette would never leave her, just like she would never leave the brunette, not just because they were bonded, but because they were in love.

" We probably should get some sleep..." Bo said, " When we get back, we'll probably have a brand new shit storm to deal with again..."

" Well, we definitely need to figure out who broke into your place... and we need to find the Kitsune serial killer..."

" And that dead guy in that warehouse, the all the stuff with the chosen one, my father, and anything related to that..." Bo said. For a while the only thing that had been important to her, was Tamsin's Rebirth Trial. Now that page was turned, and her mind started to get back to the other things. They still had the Kitsune killer case to solve, unfortunately, with no new clues to follow right now. Then there was the Break In, other than Tamsin thinking that whoever called the police might be the one who did it, there was no progress so far on that. Then there was the dead guy in the warehouse, where they had found a black feather, similar to the one they found at her place, suggesting that two cases might be connected. But most importantly, her father's secret plan for her, and all the 'Chosen One' crap. Thinking about all those things, Bo sighed, " Can we ever get any rest?"

" Probably not...'cause you are a fucking trouble magnet..." Tamsin murmured, " And I'm bonded with you, so..."

" So I guess we'll just deal with them one by one together..." Bo murmured. Letting out a deep breath, she continued, " Well, at least no one is coming for us tonight."

" Yeah...I guess..." Tamsin said, rubbing her face against Bo's chest lightly. She was already half asleep. The rebirth process consumed her mind and her body. She wanted to stay awake longer, so they could talk more, maybe about the things that had happened in the Trial while they were not together. She was just enjoying this moment, the cuddling, the whispers, the warmth, and the feelings that went with all that.

" Just get some rest, Ok?" Bo said, " When you wake up, I'll be here."

Tamsin smiled. She could hardly keep her eyes open, and her mind was getting foggier. The thought of having Bo with her when she woke up, warmed her more than anything. She leaned over and kissed the spot above Bo's heart. " You are real...and you are fucking here..." She whispered, drifting off to her dreams slowly.

Bo smiled, holding her tighter. She played with a lock of Tamsin's hair for a while, until she realized that Tamsin had already fallen asleep. Thinking about all the things that had happened in the past few days, she now felt that it was safe to finally drop her guard. She heard noises coming from outside, other Valkyrie's talking, the banquet at the main hall of Valhalla, the night breeze, and water dripping somewhere. Strangely, those noises made her feel calm, and safe. Then she felt Tamsin's hands gripping tighter on her back, when the blonde murmured something vague and rubbed her face against her chest again. Bo almost giggled, because Tamsin's hair tickled her skin.

Bo prayed in her heart, that at least for tonight, nothing would happen and they could have this quiet, peaceful moment together. She didn't care how much of a shit storm was going to pour down, or how many monsters they were going to have to kill later. She just wanted to have this moment for now. She thought for sure something would come up, or someone would show up, or some monster would just burst through the window at any moment and they would have to fight again, because every time her life seemed to be somewhat nice and quiet, shit like that would happen. She couldn't remember how many times she had hoped for nothing but a moment like this, but it almost never came true.

At least for this time, things were different. Nothing happened during the night. It was just Tamsin's scent in the air, the moonlight on the floor, and the quiet night breeze of Asgard. It was just them, holding one another and listening to each other's heartbeats.

Bo finally fell asleep, after hours of watching the sleeping Valkyrie and dreamed of them riding Dragons in the sky, exploring new worlds together.

* * *

Tamsin opened her eyes. She moved a little, feeling the familiar energy of her rebirth flowing throughout her body.. Death was not on her back anymore, at least it wouldn't be for a long time. Then her cold, blue eyes met Bo's warm, brown ones.

" Hey." The succubus whispered to her, with the sweetest smile she had ever seen on Bo's face.

Tamsin leaned over and kissed her without saying a word. For the first time in her life, she felt it was so great to be reborn, because Bo was there waiting for her, with her beautiful smile, her soft lips, and her warmth.

Bo kissed her back. She suddenly found it _weird _that she actually felt it was _weird _to have her hunger back. It felt so unfamiliar to her now that she actually had to get used to it again. She couldn't control herself and drew a little Chi from Tamsin, then she pulled herself back and exclaimed, " Whoa!" She opened her eyes wide, shaking her head. " What was that?!"

" I taste differently, don't I?" Tamsin grinned, raising herself on her elbows.

" Yeah...and I wouldn't say stronger… more like...sharper, and...more refreshing." Bo murmured, still in shock.

" Well, aren't you the expert of Chi..." Tamsin said. She felt great, with Bo in front of her, and the morning sunlight on the succubus's skin. She couldn't help but lean closer and kiss her again.

Holding the blonde by her waist, Bo kissed her back. She let the Valkyrie top her on the small bed, and watched the Valkyrie pull back a little, giving her a soft look with her beautiful blue eyes. For a moment, a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach, brought about by that tender look, masked her hunger. She hesitated as she was running her hands on the blonde's back because she didn't want to ruin this moment by giving into her instinct to feed.

Tamsin frowned a little, when she saw the look on Bo's face. She wasn't sure why Bo suddenly stopped, but when she looked into Bo's eyes, she was swept away. There was nothing but pure affection in them, and it was the warmest, most adorable look she had ever seen on anyone's face. It looked like the succubus was offering everything to her, while she was asking for everything from her.

Then their lips met and their eyes closed. No more words, just kisses, touches, and gasps. Never had Bo in her life wanted to make love this slow. She just wanted to savor every inch of Tamsin, to feel her heart beats, to listen to her whispers. Moving her lips down the blonde's body slowly, one kiss after another, Bo held the Valkyrie's hand in hers. Pressing them lightly on the pillow, on each side of Tamsin's face, she gazed into her eyes again. She could tell Tamsin was feeling a little uncomfortable, and she had been with her long enough to know that it was in her Valkyrie nature to want to run away from something this intimate, so she just pressed her palm onto Tamsin's and interlocked their fingers. " Don't pull away." She whispered to her ear, " Let me love you..."

Feeling Bo's lips fall on her forehead, Tamsin let out a light sigh, and closed her eyes. She let herself drown in Bo's passion. She moaned, when the brunette's lips reached her neck. Then she moaned louder, when they fell on her breasts. For some reason, every kiss, every touch, felt so strong today, that every time the succubus touched her, Tamsin quivered slightly.

" Well, you were certainly not lying about you missing me part..." Bo said, chuckling, when she opened Tamsin's legs and saw how wet the Valkyrie was. Pressing her lips on Tamsin's inner thigh, she gently ran her fingertips on the outer side of it, up and down, or circling.

Tamsin stiffened there, waiting for Bo's lips to fall on her center. She could feel them moving closer and closer, then away again. She arched herself away from the bed, begging silently for it. Then just as she fell back in disappointment, Bo's tongue and lips covered her core.

" God!" Tamsin exclaimed. She wanted to say something else, but as Bo's hot, soft tongue circled on her clit, she lost all strength. It was her first sex after her rebirth, and everything just seemed much more intense. Every sensation just felt more vibrant, more vivid, and stronger. Every time Bo's tongue licked across her clit, she gasped and tensed up her muscles. Then she felt that Bo took it between her lips and started to suck on it. The strong, almost painful, feeling was driving her crazy. She raised her hip to get closer to the brunette and rocked in tandem with Bo's movements. Her throbbing orgasm came and she screamed.

Bo chuckled, moving up to kiss her, while she feathered Tamsin's core with her fingers. She flicked her finger on the Valkyrie's throbbing clit, almost instantly getting her off again. Tamsin had to break their kiss, so she could get some air. She grabbed Bo's shoulder and pulled herself up as hard as she could. Her body was shaking hard, when Bo finally thrust into her. Burying her face on Bo's shoulder, she waited for her intense orgasm almost in silence. Her gasps for breath were short and hard, and her teeth were clenched. Bo held her tightly, kissing her again when she felt the contraction around her fingers. With her charms and the friction from the thrusting, she sent the blonde right back to her peak again and again.

Tamsin fell back onto bed, gasping, her eyes closed. She could feel herself shaking, and her skin burning. Then she was pulled towards Bo gently.

" You-you didn't feed...I thought you were hungry..." Tamsin murmured.

" No." Bo grinned, " That was your welcome back gift." She embraced the Valkyrie in her arms, letting her slowly fall down from her orgasm. With her hands gently caressing Tamsin's hair, Bo gave her a light kiss. " Besides, I don't have to use feed as an excuse to have sex with you anymore."

" So you have been using that as an excuse?!" Tamsin exclaimed.

" Well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, to get laid, right?" Bo teased her. Then they both giggled, hugging each other.

Just as Bo thought they could have a moment alone, before they got up and went back to their normal life, a series of impatient, loud knocking came from the door.

" Shit!" Bo said in a low voice, " Is it because you screamed too loud and you neighbors are pissed off?"

" No..." Tamsin shook her head, sighing, " Five bucks says it's some messenger from your beloved father..." She got up and got dressed. Then she opened the door, after she covered Bo under the blanket.

Bo raised her head from the bed, so she could get a look at whoever was at the door. She saw a young Valkyrie standing just beyond the doorway. She knew she was one of the Valkyries who attacked them under the orders of Svafa when they came here to rescue Acacia before, but she couldn't remember her name. The young Valkyrie looked a little bit intimidated by Tamsin, but she cleared her throat and straightened herself, before she said, " He wants to see you." She paused for a second or two, and added, " I mean… both of you."

" We'll be there in five." Tamsin said as she rolled her eyes. Then she slammed the door closed and turned back to Bo. " Come on, succulette, daddy's calling."

" Wow, since when do you follow his orders this obediently?" Bo said, " We can cuddle for a while, make him wait, you know."

" Well, either we go now, or he shows up in here after five minutes. Do you want him to see us naked like this?"

" God no!" Bo immediately sat up and got dressed. Then she watched Tamsin put both of her hands behind her head and tie her hair into a messy bun. A smile appeared on her face, as she tilted her head and watched the blonde.

Tamsin frowned at her, shaking her head. " Let's go." She said, opening the door. Then she lowered her head and gave Bo a kiss, before they walked out.

* * *

**A/N: I feel like they need a sweet, fluff chapter, and so do we :)**


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Bo walked through the long hallway in the Valkyrie dorm with Tamsin. They passed Valkyries walking past them and walked past Valkyries standing still. Most turned their heads away avoiding eye contact, as Bo and Tamsin moved down the hall. They didn't look very friendly to Bo. It seemed that they were either indifferent or somewhat disgusted by her, from the looks on their faces. Bo could swear one or two of the elder Valkyries sneered coldly at them. But to her surprise, there were a few young Valkyries that turned to face her after they walked by. All tapped their chests three times with their index and middle fingers together. Bo thought she even saw them smile at her, but, she wasn't sure because all of them had quickly turned around and walked away as if they were afraid of being caught doing something they shouldn't.

" What was that?" Bo whispered to Tamsin, " The finger tapping thing?"

Tamsin huffed out a light laugh. " It means _Good Hunting_. It's a gesture of good luck and best wishes among the Valkyries. Tap the chest once for goodbye, twice for safe return, and the third for good luck."

" Really?" Bo said, frowning, " Since when are they so friendly?"

" They admire you. Well, us, but mostly you." Tamsin said.

" What? How? I mean, why?"

" Well, I'm sure it has a lot to do with you and me passing the "_Impossible'_ trial together." Tamsin said, smirking, " But mostly, I think it's because you are probably the only person they've ever seen with balls enough to stand up to Odin, when you went and bonded with someone he didn't approve of."

" I had to." Bo said, " I couldn't lose you like that, but, mostly that was your fault. You should have told me what was going on."

Tamsin smiled. " Exactly. You risked your life to save mine. "

" Well. You've saved me like countless of times. I got to save yours in return for once..." Bo murmured.

" You've done more than that, succulette." Tamsin said, " Anyway, those chicks probably worship you at a secret altar or something..."

Bo laughed. She laid a kiss on Tamsin's lips, and held her hand in hers. She knew everyone was watching them, but she couldn't care less.

Exiting from Valhalla found them walking uphill towards a snow covered mountain. " Where are we going?" Bo asked.

" Your father's lair, the Gladsheim." Tamsin said, pointing at a building at the top of the mountain. It was a stronghold-like structure with the same color theme of Valhalla; gold and red. Under the sunlight, it looked so bright, almost burning.

" Any chance we can get up there without walking for two hours?" Bo said.

" No." Tamsin said, " That's your father. He likes to see people suffering." Then she turned to Bo and smiled, " Come on, succulette." Taking Bo's hand in hers, she pulled her close and started to climb the mountain.

" Why do you think my father wants to see us?"

" I have no clue. Maybe another one of those I-have-a-plan-for-you talks?"

" God! Why can't he just tell me about this shit all at once?! I've known about this fucking plan for like how long now? And I still don't know what it is!" Bo said, " Every time I meet with him, it's either riddles, or half of a story!"

" Gods are all like that. Assholes." Tamsin said, " They just have this irresistible urge to hide truth from everyone and to play with people's feelings. Instead of saying something straightforward like, you should watch out for a knife, they'll shroud it metaphorical speech, Behold, shiny comes in the darkness...'"

" Sounds like you've met more than one God..." Bo said as she walked by Tamsin's side. She intertwined her fingers with Tamsin's and held the Valkyrie's hand tighter.

" Well, as one of Odin's bitches, I've met his family." Tamsin said, " And a few other Gods from other places."

" Other places?"

" You don't think Asgard is the only place the immortals live, do you?" Tamsin said.

" What do I know? I could barely pronounce Gladsheim..." Bo murmured.

Tamsin smiled. " There are multiple planes of existence for other immortal families, like Olympus with Zeus and his family and dogs..."

" You've been there?"

" Once or twice. Big, empty, white buildings with lots of pillars and statues. Gods over there are just as obnoxious as your father, if not worse."

Bo laughed. She tucked herself closer to the blonde, because as they climbed higher, it was getting much colder. Tamsin, noticing, sighed and put her arm around Bo's waist. " You are so weak, succulette." She murmured.

" Well, luckily, I have you." Bo said, laying a kiss on her cheek.

After an hour and half, they finally reached the castle of Gladsheim. The stairs outside the entrance and the fountain in the middle of the empty yard were covered by snow .

Bo took a deep breath before she went in. She shielded Tamsin behind her. The building was just empty, big and empty. Strangely, it didn't feel dreadful at all. The sun shined through the windows and opened doors. It was just cold, and quiet.

A breeze came through the entrance and Bo shivered. Then she heard wings of a bird make a distinctly recognizable noise in the air, and it was getting closer. She grabbed Tamsin's wrist and pulled her closer, then she turned around.

It was a raven. The big, black bird flapped its wings and came through the entrance. It passed by them, then hovered in the air, looking at them, as if it was waiting for them to follow.

" Do we need to follow it or something?" Bo whispered to Tamsin. She remembered that once when she met her father in the dream-like experience, their conversation got interrupted by a raven, which just looked the same as this one.

" Yes. That's your father's bird." Tamsin said, " And just for the record, you don't need to protect me."

" Wow, funny 'cause every time I say the same thing to you, you respond with a mocking laugh." Bo said.

" That's 'cause you just can't keep yourself out of fucking danger." Tamsin said.

As they were talking, the raven got impatient. It chirped as if it was telling them to hurry up. Then it took off and disappeared around a corner.

" You know, normal fathers would just embrace you at the doorstep and call you baby girl..." Bo complained as she rushed after the bird. She turned around the corner at the end of the hallway, and almost ran into someone.

Seeing the wanderer in front of her, Bo swallowed her curse back and moved back cautiously. Subconsciously she positioned herself between him and the Valkyrie. She knew her father would probably not hurt Tamsin anymore, but she didn't trust him, especially thinking about the things he had put Tamsin through already.

" What took you so long?" Odin said in a low voice. The raven was standing on his shoulder, staring at Bo. Its eyes were like obsidian, dark and shimmering.

" Well, you could have seen me like ten minutes ago, if you had actually greeted me at your door." Bo retorted.

Odin give her a cold sneer, before he turned around and said, " Come." Then he just walked away.

Bo and Tamsin followed him through long, empty hallways and spiral passages. Bo couldn't help but wonder why Odin would reside in such a big and empty place by himself, and why he had to lead them to one particular empty room among hundreds of empty rooms. She wanted to ask, but then she remembered Tamsin's comments on the Gods, and she decided not to bother.

Eventually they came to a throne room, with a big, golden chair in the middle of the room. Two ravens were standing in front of it. They both stared at the women, then they moved aside so that the man could sit down.

Odin adjusted his robe, then he raised his head and rested his chin on his right hand. His good eye gazed at Bo. " I've heard you passed the _Impossible _trial."

" Yes, _we _did. Do you have a_ graduation_ gift for us or something? " Bo said.

Odin shot her a cold stare, but he didn't say anything, nor did he get angry. He just raised his head a little, like he was thinking about something. Then he said, " How is the bond treating you so far?"

" Good, great, fantastic." Bo said, " I've never felt better. I wished I could have bonded with her like a million years sooner." She heard the Valkyrie coughing, and she just grabbed the blonde's hand in hers, as if she was claiming her in front of her father. Tamsin struggled slightly, as if she was not comfortable enough to do this here, but Bo interlocked their fingers and gave her a smile.

Odin took a glance at them, before he stood up and walked to the window. He stared at outside for a long time, then spoke again, " Looks like I was wrong about fate… and it does have its own course to run..."

" You've said that before, but, I don't care what the hell that means or why you are even telling me that. Let me just put it this way, simple. I don't give a damn." Bo said, " In case you haven't noticed, I suck at riddles, and I suck even more at guessing what you mean by this or that. So why don't you just man up, and tell me bluntly what course it is, and let me deal with it?"

Bo thought Odin would be pissed at her, or at least become impatient, but apparently the man wasn't affected by what she had said. He paused for a long time, then said, " Many years ago, I knew that my daughter would one day become the Savior. I knew that she would bond with the strongest Valkyrie, and as your father, and the God of Asgard, I had to take on the responsibility to make sure what I heard actually happens."

" What? What do you mean? You mean you knew these things were going to happen before they happened?" Bo frowned, " Well, why do I even ask, you are a God, you know everything, you just don't like telling people."

Odin sighed. " My hands are tied." He said, " Even as a God, as an immortal, there are still things that I can not do."

" You mean like be nice to others? Or make yourself lovable?" Bo said.

" Isabeau." Odin said in a low voice, and it was the very first time he called her name, " I am not your enemy."

" Really? Then tell me, why did you try to force me to bond with some random Valkyrie, without even telling me about it? Why did you put Tamsin up to this, and threatened to kill her? And don't even get me started on what you did to Acacia!" Bo said.

" Enough!" Odin suddenly yelled at them. Like exploding thunder, his voice rang out in the air. He slammed his hand down hard on the throne, and for a second or two Bo thought for sure that the chair would be crushed into pieces. " Do not challenge my patience." Odin said in a low voice, obviously trying to suppress his anger.

" Alright, why don't we just talk like two civilized people, and you tell me what exactly you want me to do, then I'll decide if I'll do it." Bo said.

Odin let out a deep breath. " Follow the course of fate, and fulfill your obligations."

" Wow, can you be a bit more vague?" Bo said.

" I've already said. There are things that I can not do, even as a God. I would tell you, if I could."

" What do you mean by you would tell me, if you could?" Bo frowned. By the look on his face, she sensed that it was not like he didn't want to tell her.

" Watch out for the other candidates." Odin said, " That is as much as I can tell you." Then he turned back and looked outside for a few moments, before he continued, " That is my price to pay. I can not tell you anything more. Even if I try, the words will just disappear from my tongue before they can even get out."

" What?" Bo was confused, " Is there something keeping you from saying it out loud?" _Hopefully it's not the horseshit in your throat, daddy._ She silently added it in her heart.

Odin looked back and nodded, admitting it in silence. " There is something in this world that is even greater than me. Just remember, I am not your enemy, Isabeau." He said. Then he turned away from them again, without saying another word.

Bo frowned, turning to Tamsin. By the look on the Valkyrie's face, she knew the blonde was just as confused as she was. Then Tamsin motioned with her head towards the door, telling Bo that they should go.

Before they left the room, Odin said, " My congratulations to you, for passing the Rebirth Trial. I am proud of you." He paused for a second or two, before he added," both of you."

Bo was startled. She turned around and frowned at the man. It was the first time that he had said something nice like that. He even sounded sincere, like he really meant it. Bo just couldn't believe it. After all the shit he had put them through, threatening Tamsin with her life, torturing Acacia… she couldn't figure out why suddenly he was trying to be friendly.

" What does he mean by I'm the Savior? Savior for what? Or whom?" Bo said after they got back to Tamsin's dorm.

" Emmm...you do throw yourself into danger to save people, a lot. Even those you don't even know." Tamsin said as she closed the door behind her.

" No...I feel like he meant something more than that..." Bo said, " It's just the way he said it...is it just me? Or did he really sound concerned about something, and sincere. Words I can't believe that I'm using."

" He does seem a little bit different today..." Tamsin said, " He normally doesn't talk this much, and he has never admitted that there are things that he can not do, because it would be a sign of weakness...especially not in front of a Valkyrie, because power is the only thing he has over us..."

" So why then? Do you think he just suddenly had a change of heart?"

" Feels more like...he knows something's up and he's concerned about it." Tamsin said, frowning, " And this is the first time I've heard that there are things that he can't do..."

" That's kinda weird, don't you think? I mean, he's a God, an immortal. What could possibly keep him from saying anything to us?"

" I have no idea..." Tamsin said as she grabbed the backpack and started to pack, " Well, I guess it's time for us to leave, and figure out all the other shit we have to deal with."

Bo nodded. She helped Tamsin pack, then she paused and said, " And what does he mean, watch out for the other candidates? What candidates?"

" How the fuck would I know..." Tamsin said, packing their stuff, " Look, let's just...keep an eye on things, but, also focus on our other cases and stuff that we already have going on. Ok? I'm sure whatever he is referring to, will come around sooner or later."

" Ok..." Bo said, helping her pack, " So we just go back to the mortal world and fight crime?"

" You got a better idea?" Tamsin asked.

" Well, I guess we should go back..." Bo said, pulling Tamsin closer by her waist, " I figure they probably are pretty worried about us by now..."

" By us, you mean you?" Tamsin said.

" You don't think they worry about you too?" Bo said.

" Well, you do remember that the Happy Sunshine Gang and I aren't really that close, don't you?"

" You are closer than you think, actually. And I'm sure they are worried about you too." Bo said, leaning over to kiss her. Then she continued, " I think we need to talk to Dyson about those cases as soon as we get back. Maybe he's had a breakthrough on them or something..."

" I certainly hope so, 'cause I'm not letting you stay at your shack by yourself if the thief is still out there..."

" Wow, are you telling me that you are gonna stay with me every night?"

" Do I have a choice?" Tamsin frowned.

" I'm afraid that you don't, detective." Bo chuckled, " Then I guess we can just go home, and do the things we did last night all over again, in my soft, soft bed..."

" I thought you would have tons of shit to talk about with the Blood King, or your little human friend, tonight."

" Well, we can certainly spend some time in the Dal before we go home tonight, and I'm pretty sure you are dying for some drinks..." Bo whispered to her, " I saw how you used to devour your vodka every night, detective..."

" But, I thought you said you work better than alcohol." Tamsin smirked, " Anyway, I could use a few drinks, and a good game of pool so I can kick the wolf's ass."

" And in the end, you are gonna come home with me." Bo said, smiling, laying a kiss on Tamsin's lips.


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: Sorry it took a while for the update. School stuff kinda caught up with me. **

Chapter 52

" Oh my God...Oh my God!" Was the first thing Bo and Tamsin heard from Kenzi when they showed up at the Dal. The Russian girl threw herself at Bo, and hugged her tight. Then she yelled Oh-my-God for the third time, but it was only because she knocked a small statue on the counter off onto the floor and broke it.

" Oh no! Trick's gonna kill me!" Kenzi exclaimed as she picked up parts of the statuette she just broke, " Yesterday I accidentally burnt his whatever scroll, and now this statue of this...whatever woman."

" That would be the Goddess Ishtar, and that statuette is a few thousand years old." Acacia said, trying hard not to laugh at Kenzi. She was carrying a big box in her hands, when she saw Bo and Tamsin. She put it down and grabbed both of them in her arms. " You bitches made it!" She said, " Oh, I knew you would! Damn! Now I can finally get my money back!"

" Money?" Bo frowned. Then she turned to Tamsin, " You borrowed money from her or something?"

Tamsin rolled her eyes. Before she could say anything, Dyson came up from Trick's den and answered Bo's question. "The money we bet on whether you two would be able to complete Tamsin's Rebirth Trial." He put down the stuff in his arm, and gave Bo a big hug. He grabbed her waist and lifted her up, spinning her around for a few seconds. Putting her down, he said, "Welcome back. It's nice to see you alive and well." Then he turned to Tamsin. They punched each other on the shoulder and nodded, neither bothering to say anything.

" What? You guys bet money on us?" Bo said, " All of you?"

" Actually, almost all of the Fae and some humans." Dyson said, " Don't know how, but word got around about a bonded Valkyrie going up against the _Impossible _Rebirth Trial with her succubus warrior. Only a few thought you two would make it though. And now, thanks to you two, I have my retirement fund secured." Dyson continued with a big grin on his face.

" Can you believe this? We were fighting for our lives, and they were securing their retirement funds?!" Bo asked Tamsin. The Valkyrie shrugged, as if it didn't surprise her at all.

Bo rolled her eyes at her, then she turned around. It was then she realized that Trick was not here, and the Dal was a mess. His collections were all over the place. Books, statues, boxes, artifacts.

" What happened? Where's Trick? Someone attacked us?" Bo asked Dyson as she carefully maneuvered herself through all the things, trying not to break anything.

" Hey, relax." Dyson said, " We had an incident with some drunk water Fae, not a big deal, just need to put the things out to dry. Trick went to discuss the insurance details or something." He explained.

" Well, glad you are back, Bo-Bo." Kenzi said, turning her eyes to Tamsin, "And...you too...detective. Any chance one of you know how to repair this statue thing?"

" Maybe we can glue it back together or something..." Bo took the broken pieces in her hand. It was a curvy woman figure, with wings. Her head was off, and so were her arms and wings.

" Just throw it away." Acacia said, " I was kidding. It's a replica. Worth less than shit."

" Oh Kenzi luuuuuurves replicas!" Kenzi cheered, " Replicas are the best!" Then she turned to Bo and dragged her to the bar, " Enough of that then. Storytime, bestie?"

Bo smiled. She sat down beside Kenzi and then turned to Tamsin, silently asking her to join them. Tamsin rolled her eyes, but, she did sit down beside Bo, and managed to grab a bottle of vodka behind the counter as if she owned the place. Bo moved her shot glass away from her hand and the Valkyrie shot her a stare. The brunette ignored that, holding her hand in hers and pulling it to her chest. She lowered her head and laid a kiss on Tamsin's fingers. Tamsin froze for a second or two before she interlocked her fingers with Bo's in front of everyone.

Kenzi coughed, almost choking on her drink. She gave them a I-fucking-knew-it look, with her chin resting on her hand, and her eyelashes fluttering.

Dyson just had this warm but mocking smile on his face." Domestic much, partner?" He teased Tamsin.

Tamsin shot a cold stare at him, but she didn't let go of Bo's hand.

Acacia rolled her eyes at them, shaking her head.

The next few hours, Bo couldn't stop talking, because Kenzi and Dyson kept asking her questions. Acacia just sat there drinking silently, but, when Bo mentioned, Gyra, the elder Valkyrie got a sorrowful look on her face and turned away.

Tamsin was quiet too, but, she did add a few missing details for Bo. She didn't talk much about the part where she was turned to the drought monster and lost her consciousness. Bo put her arm around Tamsin's waist and pulled her closer because she knew it was not a pleasant memory for her. She couldn't care less about those knowing smiles on Dyson or Kenzi's face. She just wanted to comfort the blonde.

After Bo finished her story, Dyson started to talk about the cases they had, while Kenzi and Acacia went back to organizing the Dal.

" So basically, no progress." Bo said after Dyson finished talking.

" Not entirely true. The tech team did confirm that the feather we found at the warehouse crime scene and the one from your shack came from the same type of bird..."

" Yeah, yeah, some owl that only inhabits the Mediterranean region... " Bo said, " By any chance are there any records that might indicate who imported any of these birds, or where they are sold , or who might have bought them?"

" I tried. You know with all the Fae warp stations and stuff, it's impossible to track a single bird, but I'm not giving up just yet. I don't think you should put too much hope on it though."

" Wasn't planning on it..." Bo said, " But at least now we know that whoever broke into my place is probably connected to the warehouse murder, right?"

" Connected or not, without further clues, we can't do shit." Tamsin murmured, " By the way, figured that whoever broke into her place, is probably the one who did it."

" I thought the same thing, when I dropped Kenzi off the other day, because those junkies and criminals there wouldn't report anything to the cops." Dyson said, " Traced back the call to a pay phone not too far away from your place, and the tech team is still searching for clues from the camera footage around that area."

" What about the Kitsune killer?" Bo said, " Nothing at all?"

" Never happened again. The killer just vanished. No further clues that could ID him. We probably spooked him or something..."

" This doesn't feel right..." Bo said, " If he's looking for information from those Kitsune prophets, why did he suddenly stop?"

" Well, two reasons." Tamsin said," Either he doesn't need the information anymore, or..."

" He has already gotten what he wanted." Bo completed her sentence.

Tamsin nodded. " Maybe we can go over the case tomorrow, see if we missed anything..."

" That'll be great..." Dyson said, " But don't you want a couple of days off? You know, get some rest or something."

" Oh believe me, wolfboy, I'm dying to kick some villain's ass right now." Tamsin smirked at him, downing her drink.

They all stayed quiet for a little while, before Bo said," Where the fuck did those two fox bitches go? Aren't they supposed to be here 24/7?"

" You would think." Kenzi said as she laid a stack of books on the floor, " Bitches partying all day long, fucking dudes all around the town. I think STD might kill them before the killer does. And now with the water damage, the Dal is closed, bitches probably crashing at some stranger's place, drinking other people's booze."

" Damn..." Bo said, "They do know that the killer is still out there, right?"

" Emmm...have you met them yet? Do you really think they would give up parties, dudes, or alcohol for some maybe killer out to hunt them down?" Kenzi said.

" There's only so much you can do, sweetheart." Tamsin said to Bo with a teasing tone.

" Woooo, _sweetheart_..." Kenzi said, pretending to shiver, like she just couldn't stand the fact that such a word had come out of Tamsin's mouth. Then she left before Tamsin got the chance to retort.

* * *

" God, I missed my bed..." Bo murmured as she threw herself onto her bed when she and Tamsin got home. Then she pulled the Valkyrie down on top of her, tucking both of them under the blanket. She held Tamsin in her arms and laid a light kiss on her forehead. Tamsin pulled herself closer to Bo, melting in the succubus' embrace.

" You were shaking when you talked about being inside the monster..." Bo whispered to her, " Is everything Ok?"

Tamsin didn't say anything at first. She was enjoying Bo's gentle touch on her arm. It was not something pleasant to remember and she wasn't sure if she could talk about it. She was never comfortable talking about her fears and her weaknesses in front of someone else.

Bo held her tighter, trying to warm her up. She knew the Valkyrie was too proud to talk about things that scared her, so she didn't push further. Instead, she caressed her face and laid a lot of soft kisses on her. She watched the blonde close her eyes and sigh.

" I'm fine." Tamsin finally replied, " When I was in that damn thing, I was just so scared that I might eventually lose my lucid mind forever, and that I might lose...you." She almost couldn't get the word _you _out of her mouth. As much as she loved Bo, she was still not used to expressing her feelings directly to the brunette like this.

Bo felt warmed by Tamsin's words, because she knew that exact feeling. That feeling of terror every time she thought she was about to lose the blonde. She held Tamsin's hand in hers and intertwined their fingers together.

" Everything's fine now. We made it through." She said as she kissed her fingers.

" Yeah, except that some other shit will fall on us soon..." Tamsin said. She watched the brunette kiss her fingers and then her palm. All while her warm, brown eyes stared at her the entire time with a hint of smile on her face. Then the succubus moved closer and kissed her. Nothing could beat this, Bo's warm embrace, her soft kisses, and her gentle touch. Not even the strongest alcohol could comfort Tamsin like this. She softened in Bo's arms, closing her eyes.

Tamsin's phone rang, right before Bo unbuttoned her shirt.

" Ahhhhhh!" Bo cursed, " We've got to tell those fuckers not to call us when we are together!"

" It's Dyson..." Tamsin glanced at the caller ID.

" Wow, news flash!" Bo rolled her eyes as she watched Tamsin answer the call. The Valkyrie caressed her hand as she talked to Dyson on the phone. Then she hung up and said, " I got to go. It's the precinct. It's an armed robbery with a hostage situation."

" Maybe I can help? You know I'm good at persuading people."

" Yeah, the problem is, you need to get to the suspect before the bullets get you." Tamsin smirked, " Unless...you promise to stay in the car the whole time..."

" Of course, detective, cross my heart." Bo said as she raised her fingers up to swear. Then they both chuckled and kissed again.

Bo's phone beeped while she was changing. " If it's Dyson, tell him that I'm on my way." She said to Tamsin.

" I think it's your human pet." Tamsin said as she read the text, " Apparently Acacia overestimated how much liquor your pet could hold, and she needs you to drag her ass back from the Dal."

" Oh great!" Bo said, " I guess I can't go with you..."

" You just can't handle a single night without me, can you?" Tamsin smirked.

Bo rolled her eyes at the blonde. " I guess you can come over when the situation is resolved."

" Well, maybe I'll just go for some drinks with Dyson,\ and then pick up some hot chicks in the bar." Tamsin said as winked at Bo.

" Well, in that case, bring her home..."

" Then your all your dreams will finally come true?" Tamsin said, lowering her head to give Bo a kiss before she walked out.

* * *

Dragging Kenzi's back from the Dal was not an easy job yet a very familiar one to Bo. She put the Russian girl on the couch and covered her with a throw. Kenzi rolled over, pulling Bo into her arms to kiss her cheek. She muttered something, with a smile on her face, before she fell asleep.

Bo let out a deep breath and sat beside her on the couch. She missed her normal life, even though she knew nothing about it was normal. It was always hunting things down or being hunted, dealing with assholes and bitches, but, she missed this, more than anything. She missed everyone in her life. Kenzi, Dyson, Trick, , Hale, and Lauren. She even missed people like the Morrigan's assassins, or the robe stealing Mesmer, Vex. They were annoying, but, they were part of her normal life. She never wanted anything to change, especially now that she had Tamsin. She loved the Valkyrie and the Valkyrie loved her. They were bonded for life. Just this simple thought gave her a warm feeling that passed through her heart making her happy.

Bo smiled when she thought about the blonde. She never realized that she could be with someone she felt so attached to, but, at the same time, felt so free with. With Tamsin by her side she felt like she could do anything! And, anything she did, she knew the Valkyrie would be there, watching her back, holding her hands.

Feeling relaxed, Bo slowly drifted off to sleep on the couch beside Kenzi. After a short time of dark fuzziness, she found herself in a dream, someone else's dream.

_How did I even do this shit?_ Bo asked herself, _I wasn't even trying!_

She was in the Dal, but everything looked a little bit different than she remembered. The lights looked awfully dim, yet the liquor cabinet looked shiny bright, especially the top shelves where Trick kept all his good stuff. It looked like the bright lights were emanating from the inside. The music was louder than she remembered and the space looked bigger.

But, what really caught Bo's attention, were the customers in the bar. Rather than a bunch of people, they were a bunch of animals, monsters, and weirdoes, in a cute, funny way. Bo almost laughed when she saw Trick behind the counter. The Blood King looked like a king from a deck of playing cards, with the crown and everything, but, with a very serious look on his face, like he was going to tell someone his loved one had just died. Every customer in the bar was either fluffy, furry or blobby. She recognized Dyson, who was a wolf with a police badge hanging in front of his chest near the pool table. She also recognized a few other regulars, who were also in their true Fae form, like a bird, a lion or something else. She saw a pale, gothic looking man with fangs and a cape. She knew it must be a vampire, although real vampires didn't necessarily look like that.

_Is this Kenzi's dream?_ Bo asked herself, because everything seemed a little out of order and gothic, just like the Russian girl. Then she saw a hydra burst into flames in the middle of the Dal and blacken everyone around him. But, instead of dying as they would have in reality, everyone continued talking and laughing as if nothing had happened.

Bo smiled. She found it interesting to be in Kenzi's dream. Sometimes she did wonder what exactly was going on in Kenzi's head, and now, she had a much better idea. She walked around the bar and saw a lot of other odd creatures, like Goblins fighting over gold coins, Basilisks hissing at each other, or a Thunderbird charging a lightbulb in her hand. When she walked out of the bar, she immediately entered it again from the back door. However, this time the Dal was filled with water, like a huge aquarium, and everyone was swimming in it like fishes. Then she saw two foxes swimming in the water. They had pretty flashy eye shadow on, and matching nail polish. She immediately realized that they were Casey and Amanda. Both foxes swam to the exit and disappeared. Bo guessed this was a reference to the bar flooding incident and she was amused by it, because it was really funny to watch all the Fae swimming around her.

Bo watched the Fae there for a while. Then she saw the pair of Kitsunes coming back in the water again, but this time, with someone else.

Bo frowned, because the man they were with was the only human looking being inside the bar. He was an attractive guy, but, in a pale and gloomy way. However, It was hilarious watching him sitting on a chair with a drink in his hand and the two foxes on his lap in the water. Bo tilted her head and stared at him. She couldn't tell what caught her attention, but, she just felt something was off there. She swam towards the man, in order to get a closer look, but as the water level began to drop, everyone just slowly faded away, dissolving into the water. Bo got washed out of a window, but, found herself right back in the bar again.

She was standing at the entrance and someone walked past her. Bo could tell it was Casey because the woman was no longer completely a fox, but a blend of the two forms. She still had her fox ears and tail, and was wearing extremely glittery make up. Her face still seemed to resemble a fox though. A man was right behind her. It was the guy she and Amanda were with in the water. That attractive, but, gloomy one. It looked like they were on some sort date and they were leaving the Dal.

Bo frowned. There was something off about this man, but she couldn't tell what it was. As the man walked through the entrance, Bo noticed his pendant. It was a cylindrical pendant, made from some sort of opaque gemstone about the size of her thumb. Some very delicate carvings were on it. Bo recognized some animals on it, like lions, or leopards, and also, a full figured woman with wings. She thought for sure she had seen that somewhere before, but she just couldn't remember where.

When they were both gone, Bo shook her head, and turned to face the inside of the bar. It looked like the flooding had never happened there. Everyone was just laughing, drinking and playing pool. Trick was polishing something behind the counter, not the glasses, but his statue collections. They all looked shiny.

_Gee, Kenzi must have really been worried about that broken statue..._Bo thought to herself. Then something occurred to her mind. She remembered that Kenzi broke a statuette when she and Tamsin came back, and how worried she was about breaking it. It was a statue of some Goddess named Ishtar, or Ishkar. A woman with big breasts and hips, and wings spreading behind her back, just like the one she saw on that man's pendant.

Something hit Bo. At first it was like a spark in her brain, gone in a split second. She knew it was something really important, so she tried hard to grasp it. She knew something she saw in this dream must have triggered her memory, so she tried to recall every detail she saw here. When her mind came to the Kitsunes, she suddenly remembered something from the Kitsune serial killer case. Cylindrical Duchess, or Cylindrical Goddess. It was what Tamsin heard from one of the victims right after the Valkyrie gained the power of hearing things from the dead as a result of their bond. They never figured out what it meant. Now that Bo had seen a cylindrical pendant with the figure carved on it, she finally realized what the victims might have been talking about.

_Cylindrical Goddess. _Bo murmured. Somehow she felt that it was urgent for her to wake up right now. Forcing herself out from Kenzi's dream, she jerked up from the couch, gasping. Then she immediately turned to Kenzi and shook the petite girl, who was still in a deep sleep.

" Kenzi! Wake up! Wake up!"

" What?! What happened?! Are we under attack?!" Kenzi yelled as she hopped up from the couch, dashing into the kitchen to grab a frying pan.

" You know, we actually have daggers stuffed under our couch, Kenz. And no, we are not under attack." Bo dragged her back to the couch and said, " I need to ask you a few questions, Kenzi."

" ...If it's about those pizza slices that disappeared from the fridge, I confess. I ate them..." Kenzi said, putting the pan down. She was half confused, half drunk.

" Forget about the pizza. You can have as much as you want of that. When was the last time you saw those two fox bitches?"

" Huh? Casey and Amanda?" Kenzi murmured, like she couldn't believe Bo needed to ask her about them right now. She thought for a moment before she continued, "Two days ago maybe? I knew they were in the bar when it was flooded. Then they left, with some guy..."

" Ok, good. Now, this guy, what did he look like?"

" I don't know. Good looking? But kind of an ass, you know, like those frat jerks. "

" Tall, brown hair, charming, with a special pendent on him?"

" Yeah, yeah. I remember the pendent... How do you know about that?" Kenzi frowned.

" I- let's not focus on that part right now. Listen, I think that guy might be the Kitsune killer." Bo said.

" What?! Are you for real, sister?" Kenzi said. She had finally sobered up when she heard the shocking news. She quickly pulled her phone out and called Casey and Amanda, but no one answered.

" Not answering, huh?" Bo said. She could already tell from Kenzi's face.

" Hey, you know them. Maybe they're just passed out on some random dude's couch..." Kenzi tried to rationalize.

" Or the killer might already have them." Bo said, " I've got to go find them. Do you have any idea where they might have gone? Or where they might be?"

" Actually, better." Kenzi said, " Don't tell them this, but...Dyson secretly put GPS trackers in their shoes..." She turned on her laptop and opened an application, " We've been tracking their activities for a week or two, but the killer never showed up again. We thought he was gone, poof, vanished, gone with the wind or something..."

Bo quickly wrote down the address that appeared on the screen. She tried to call Dyson and Tamsin, but neither of them answered.

" Ughhhhh! There just had to be a fucking asshole robbing some place with guns right now!" Bo exclaimed as she packed her weapons.

Kenzi went to grab her sword, but, she almost tripped. Bo dragged her back to the couch and said, " You, stay home and lock the door. Keep calling them and let me know as soon as someone answers their phone."

" Maybe you should wait for...emmm...detective Snarkybabe to go with you, Bo-Bo."

" No, if they are in fact in danger, I have to go now." Bo said before she stormed out, " I hope I am wrong about this!"

" Me too!" Kenzi yelled right before Bo closed the door behind her.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Bo tried to call Dyson and Tamsin on her way to the location the GPS tracker had indicated Casey was, but neither of them were picking up their phones. She knew they were probably in the middle of some intense hostage situation, but she had desperately hoped that Tamsin could be on this with her right now.

The location Kenzi traced, according the GPS, was somewhere in the woods. Not the same one where they had found the other girls, but similar surroundings.

It was already midnight, and the only light source in the woods was the moon. Bo had packed a flashlight with her, but she didn't want to expose herself.

She arrived at the location, and found one of Casey's shoes abandoned in a pile of fallen leaves. All the fake gemstones on it sparkled underneath the pale moonlight. Something heavy dropped on Bo's heart when she held it in her hand because she recognized that shoe as one of Casey's favorites. She had seen her wearing the pair on many occasions. Bo knew something was up. Casey definitely would not come to a place like this, and certainly not on foot. Bo knew that girl would only walk when shopping, and she would never give up her favorite shoe before giving up her own life.

Bo put the shoe in a plastic bag and put it in her bag. Now she finally felt that it hadn't entirely been a waste of time for her to learn some tracking skills from Acacia when she had prepared for Tamsin's Rebirth Trial. She never got to use it during the Trial, but now she found that it was coming in handy.

It didn't take Bo long to find a piece of torn clothing hanging on the thorns of a bush not far from the place she had found the shoe. There was a crimson smudge on it. She quickly took out the toolkit Tamsin gave her for identifying Fae blood. Seconds later the transparent liquid in the test tube turned red, which meant it was Fae blood. Bo felt her heart getting heavier. She tried Dyson and Tamsin's phones for the third time, but still, no luck.

An abandoned vacation house appeared in front of her. It was just the same thing she saw when they had found the crime scene in the other woods. She circled to the back of it, crouching down under the broken window, trying to take a peek without alerting anyone who might be inside.

Just as she was slowly raising her head, her phone vibrated inside her pants. She almost jumped up. She quietly took it out and saw that it was a text from Kenzi saying that she couldn't get through to Dyson, but that Amanda had returned her call, and that she was safe. No info about Casey.

_Shit._ Bo cursed inside her heart. She put her phone back and took a glance inside the house.

No one was in there, but she saw a few pieces of used furniture which were too new for a rundown house like this. She remembered last time they had found something similar over at the other crime scene, and that Tamsin had said someone might be squatting there. To Bo, it made sense because they were never able to find the killer. The only explanation would be that he was living somewhere off the grid, like an abandoned vacation house in the middle of the woods.

Bo took a deep breath before she pushed the door open. The door made a squeaky sound, which was creepily loud in the quiet night, seizing up Bo's heart. She checked every corner of the house before she started to breathe again. Other than the furniture, no one was in there, but Bo did see some muddy footprints on the floor. There was one set of prints that looked like someone walking with one foot bare and the other in high heels. She knew it was probably Casey, since she had found one of her shoes earlier. She was expecting to see a second set of footprints, because she thought Casey was probably being forced by someone to be out here, but her footprints were the only ones Bo could see. And that reminded her that the last crime scene didn't have the footprints of the killer either.

_Is he a ghost or something?_ Bo asked herself. Then she shook her head, because she had seen ghosts, or spirits before, and they looked nothing like the man she saw in Kenzi's dream. That man was charming, and alive, although in a creepy way.

Bo stood in the middle of the house after she had searched everywhere with no results. Then she remembered that the last time they had found a hatch to a tunnel under the bed. She got down on the floor, trying to ignore the dirt and the cobwebs, and found a hatch door under the bed, just like last time.

Bo let out a deep breath. Remembering walking in the dark underground tunnel from the last time, she felt a conflict of emotions. She felt warm inside because, Tamsin had been holding her hand the last time, and scared because the Valkyrie was not with her now. Bo knew she shouldn't rely on Tamsin every time she was in a situation like this, but she just felt a lot safer and more confident when the blonde was with her.

Before she went down the tunnel, she made one last phone call to Tamsin, still no answer. Bo sighed. She tried to leave her a voicemail, but the blonde's voice mailbox was still full. Bo frowned, because she thought Tamsin should have cleared her voicemail when they got back, if not, she definitely should have cleared it before she went to the robbery site. She knew it was not the time to think about minor details like that, but it just scared her a little, when suddenly she couldn't reach Tamsin. The desperation she had when Tamsin was inside the drought monster came to her again. She sent the blonde a few texts, and just like before, the blonde did not reply.

* * *

" How long does it take for a damn hostage negotiator to show up? Are they shipping him in from the planet Mars or something?" Tamsin asked Dyson outside the gas station. The suspect was inside, holding a few hostages, and the police had been there holding position for hours now. They were waiting on a hostage negotiator, and they had no idea where he was, or why he wasn't there yet.

" I'm sure he'll be here soon." Dyson said.

" Yeah, you said the exact same shit like thirty minute ago." Tamsin rolled her eyes at him.

" Maybe he's just too busy." Dyson said, " We've have armed robberies in our district a lot recently, almost every night..."

" Well, that's certainly a little bit weird..." Tamsin said, frowning, " But who cares...I just want to be out of here as soon as possible."

" You are extremely impatient tonight, partner." Dyson said, " Is it because this is so boring, or because you have _someone_ to go to?" He emphasized the word _someone_, with a teasing smile on his face.

" God, Dyson. What are we now? Two thirteen year olds talking about a schoolgirl crush?"

" No, and she's not a crush."

Tamsin shook her head. " Yes, now I have someone to go to, so what?"

" I think it's great." Dyson laughed, " You should have something else to do, beside bar fights, hook ups, or getting drunk at night."

" Should I start calling you mom?" Tamsin retorted, but she would admit in her heart secretly, that having someone to go to at night was something nice. Not just because of the warmth during night, but also those warm eyes looking at her when she woke up in the morning. It was then she realized that it was the first time in several weeks that she and Bo were not with each other at this time of the day. They were always together, in each other's arms, except the few days she was inside the monster. She was already addict to Bo's touches, and she was thinking about them right now.

Dyson smiled, and he stopped talking. He could see that Tamsin had softened a little in front of other people. He knew the blonde might not have realized it yet, but she had changed a little since being with Bo.

Thinking of Bo, Tamsin frowned. A weird feeling occurred to her, like she had something that she should worry about, or she should take care of. She shook her head, trying to get rid of that funny feeling, but the more she tried, the stronger it got. Eventually it got to the point that she felt her fingertips were pulsing because her heart was beating too fast. She took a few deep breaths, but nothing changed.

" What's wrong?" Dyson asked when he saw Tamsin frowning.

" I don't know...feels like I'm having a panic attack, but I don't see shit that would be making me panic..." Tamsin said. She could feel the cold sweat coming out from her back, and she could hardly breathe. She had to grab the car door hard, so she would not fall.

" Whoa, what's going on?" Dyson asked. He grabbed Tamsin before she fell, when he saw how pale she suddenly got.

" I don't know..." Tamsin said, gasping. Then she suddenly had this feeling that it was related to Bo. She had no idea why she would think this, but somehow deep inside her heart, she just knew. She cursed and searched for her cell. Eventually she found it buried under a pile of case files on the back seat. Seeing a few missed calls from Bo, she cursed again. She dialed back, but Bo's phone was out of the service zone. She checked her voice mail, and it was then she realized that her voice mailbox was full, as well as her texts. They were all meaningless messages, from a number of different numbers that she didn't recognize. And new ones appeared faster than she could delete them.

" Fuck!" Tamsin cursed for the third time, and hopped in the car.

" Whoa, where are you going? We are in the middle of something here, Tamsin." Dyson grabbed her hand before she started the car, " Besides, you could barely stand a minute ago. You can't drive."

" Then you drive." Tamsin handed him the keys, " I think it's the bond. I can feel that Bo is in danger. Bitch's thrown herself into some deep shit hole again. I've got to go find her."

" You sure?"

" Never more sure in my fucking life." Tamsin said, " Come on wolfboy, let's go."

* * *

The tunnel was dark, damp, and quiet. Bo turned on the flashlight, but it only lit up about a few steps away from her, the rest was just pure darkness. And the weird, nasty smell in the tunnel was making it hard for Boto choose between holding her breath or throwing up.

Eventually she reached the exit. She checked the surroundings before she got out. No one was outside. It was just trees and the moon. She didn't even hear bugs chirping.

There were no blood trails this time, but the footprints were still pretty clear, and they lead to a cave.

_Oh God._ Bo whispered to herself. _Please, no Manticores. _She knew if there was a Manticore or two in there, even if she could take them, it would certainly be a bloodbath.

Standing at the entrance of the cave, Bo almost couldn't make herself walk into it. She stayed there for a while, trying to make sure that there was no monster inside. She heard no growling, and she smelled no rotten corpse like last time. She tried to call the Valkyrie again, but it was then she found that she was out of the service zone.

Slowly she walked in, with her dagger gripped tightly in her hand. She could feel her palms getting wet, and her heart pounding hard. The cave was deep and dark. Bo had to turn off her flashlight because the last thing she wanted right now was to draw any attention to herself.

_Please no Manticores. Please no Manticores._ Bo repeated as she walked into the chamber at the end of the cave tunnel. She heard some suppressed noise coming from inside, and she immediately crouched down, trying to make herself as small as possible to avoid being seen.

Inching forward, Bo raised herself a little bit, just so she could be able to see inside the chamber. She almost made a noise when she saw Casey lying on the ground, her hands and feet tied up. Bo made sure no one else was there, before she ran to the poor girl. She saw some minor bruises and cuts on the girl, but no major wounds, no blood on the ground, no strangulation marks on her neck. Bo felt relieved when she felt the pulse on her neck. She cut off the ropes on her wrists and ankles, and shook her hard.

" Damn it, wake up!" Bo whispered to her, tapping her face hard. She almost slapped her, but the girl suddenly sat up and gasped.

" Shhhhh!" Bo covered Casey's mouth before she screamed, " It's me. We need to get out of here now." She could see the fear in the Kitsune's eyes. Tear welled up in Casey's eyes, and she was shaking in Bo's arms. Her lips quivered, like she was trying to say something to Bo, but she was just too afraid to let a single word out. Then Bo saw her eyes moving towards the direction of the entrance of the cave, and the girl's eyes went wide.

Bo moved before her mind even started to think about why or where. She just felt the danger with her skin. She grabbed Casey and rolled to the other side of the chamber, then she heard a loud noise, like some metal object hitting the rock on the ground. She gripped her dagger tight, before she turned around to see what was going on.

" Wow, you _are_ a hardy prey..." A man said playfully. Bo immediately recognized him as the man in Kenzi's dream. The one with that pendent, that right now was glowing crimson on his chest.

" So you are the killer we've been looking for." Bo said, slowly moving backwards, shielding the panicking Kitsune behind her back.

" So, you are the bonded succubus I've been looking for." The man didn't rush to attack her. He just paced in front of Bo, with his finger slowly running on the blade of his scimitar. That piece of weaponry looked really old, but was polished to a sheen and looked sharp enough to cut through any flesh.

" Yeah, well, you're about to find a piece of her foot shoved up your ass too!" Bo said, slashing her blade at him. The man dodge her swiftly. It was then Bo noticed that he moved so quietly that she couldn't hear anything. He didn't leave any footprints on the muddy ground either, like he was gliding on top of it without pressing his feet down. He was smiling, and his smile kinda freaked Bo out. She thrust her blade at him again, and the man parried with his scimitar this time. He moved his blade forward onto her dagger's rain guard, forcing Bo to take a step back. Bo wanted to push him away, but she couldn't.

" I thought the Valkyrie's bond is supposed to make you strong." The man mocked her, " Or maybe this is just as much as a succubus can do? How did the Valkyrie even agree to bond with you? You seduced her, right?"

" That's none of your fucking business." Bo retorted, " And don't, ever, think of seducing one yourself, 'cause I'm sure they'd die before they agree."

" Ahh, I never thought the Valkyrie's bond would work anyway. Probably just another one of those many things that is way overrated." The man said, " I guess I'm just too careful. Maybe I didn't even have to separate you two tonight."

Hearing the man's words, Bo frowned. She pushed the man back, and said to Casey, " Run! "

A light puffy sound exploded in the air, and the girl shapeshifted to a fox. She ran like she was getting away from a blood hound. Bo watched her disappear as she cornered the man and forced him not to pursue the girl.

" What do you mean by separate us two?" Bo asked, holding her dagger in front of her, preparing to strike at any second.

" I guess intelligence is not something you have acquired either." The man said playfully, his eyes staring at Bo.

Bo frowned again. Something just didn't feel right to her. Maybe it was because the man was overly calm. Maybe it was because they had been chasing this guy for a long time now, and he just suddenly appeared. Also, what the man had just said concerned her.

" I guess it's Ok for us to talk a while longer before one of us dies tonight." The man sighed, as if he was regretting something that was about to happen. " See, I think I was overestimating the positive influence you would get from the bond, and it turned out I was wrong. The bond did you nothing good..."

" Don't judge something you will never understand." Bo said, " And you got one thing right. One of us will die tonight, and it's not gonna be me. So you better spit all your shit out while you have the time."

" You think it's a coincidence that the armed robbery tonight just happened to take place in your Valkyrie's district? You think it's a coincidence that her voice mailbox was full?"

Fear suddenly seized Bo's heart. " How do you know about those things?"

" Wow, I thought at least you would be able to answer that question." The man looked surprised, he couldn't believe Bo just asked him that. " Obviously, I planned those things so I could separate you two. So I could lure you here and ambush you."

" How could you possibly know that I would find the clues that would lead me here tonight?" Bo still couldn't quite believe him.

" I didn't." The man said, " But sooner or later, you would have realize that the fox bitch was missing, and you would have come out looking for her, and as you see, would lead you right to here."

Bo furrowed her eyebrows. She thought this man was hunting for Kitsunes, but what he had just said made her think that he was hunting her instead. " If you are looking for one of those fucking prophecies, too bad, I may be a lot of things, but I am sure as hell not a fortune teller." Bo said.

" Oh, no, no, darling. I'm way past that stage already." The man laughed, " I got the prophecy I wanted when I killed that girl. What was her name? Amy, or Haley? I can't remember, 'cause they're all the same, so loud, shallow, and stupid..."

Bo anxiously stared at the man, trying to be prepared for his attack, but a small part of her mind focused on the prophecy the man talked about. She remembered that Tamsin had heard something about the identical, the bonded, the lurking, and the lifeless. They had no idea what it meant, but Tamsin suspected that the bonded meant her, or them together.

" Anyway-" The man started to talk again, interrupting her thoughts, "-I couldn't figure out who was the bonded, until...I heard just about everyone in town talking about some Valkyrie was doing the _Impossible _Rebirth Trial with her bonded mate, and I immediately knew it was you that I should be looking for. Then I thought, maybe the Trial would kill you. But well, a couple of days ago, many of the Valkyries were talking about how successfully you two had completed the trial. Beginner's luck I guess, right?"

" What is it that you have against me?" Bo asked.

" Oh, nothing personal really." The man said, running his finger on his blade again. It seemed that he was not worried about getting cut at all, because when he did, he just licked off the blood and gave Bo a smile with blood on his teeth. " Just eliminating the other candidates, and you just happen to be one of them." He said.

" What other candidates?" Bo said. Then suddenly something occurred to her. She remembered when Tamsin and she were in her father's place having a vague conversation where her father warned her to watch out for other candidates.

" So not only are you stupid, you are completely oblivious too." The man said in a soft voice, " But, let's have some mysteries unsolved, shall we?"

" You are going to tell me every piece of crap that you know, when I drag you down to the police station." Bo said, grabbing the man's collar and pulling him closer. Her eyes turned blue, and she began to suck his Chi out, but she choked hard and had to pull away.

" You really think after all the things I've planned that I would face a succubus without possessing a Koushang?" The man said, pulling a pendent out, " I hope that you at least know this thing binds my Chi to my body, so you can't take it..."

" Then how about the old and hard way?" Bo said, punching him on his chin. It was then she felt that her arm was soft, and so was every other part of her body. It felt like her strength had just left her.

" Ouch..." The man said, " That _hurt_, almost as much as a mosquito bite!"

" What-what did you do to me?!" Bo asked. She felt that she was sinking deep into something soft and light, yet her senses were all clear.

" See, another tip, don't stare at people so often and for too long. It's not polite and it can kill you-" The man said as he grabbed Bo's dagger in his hand and took it away. Bo tried to stop him, but she couldn't move any part of her body, and her eyes slowly began to close.

" That's right...just close your eyes, darling." The man's soft yet unpleasant voice was right beside her ear, " Just close your eyes, and enjoy the coming death, when I suck you dry..."

Then his mouth fell on Bo's neck. Bo felt something sharp pierce through her skin, and it was painful. Then she not only heard, but could feel the man sucking on her neck as he made yummy noises in his throat. She figured that the man was sucking her blood out, but there was nothing she could do to stop him. She couldn't open open her eyes.

Things were slowly becoming vague. Bo didn't know if that was just from the blood she was losing, or something else the man might be doing to her. She couldn't feel any part of her body, and eventually the pain started to disappear too.

_Am I going to die?_ Bo asked herself, trying hard to keep herself awake. She thought she heard some noise coming from the entrance of the cave, but she couldn't be sure, because it sounded like some sort of animal growling. Then she could hear the sounds of a scuffle inside the cave, of someone getting thrown against the cave wall and then falling to the ground. Whatever the animal was that she heard, growled loudly in pain.

Then she could heard blades slashing together, someone falling to the ground again, and someone yelling in pain. She wanted to see what was happening so bad, but she just couldn't open her eyes. She felt like her body had left her completely, and all she had left was her not-so-lucid mind. She tried to say something, but she couldn't.

Bo didn't know how long it took before the fighting, or at least she thought it was fighting, finally stopped. Then suddenly, something was flowing into her. After a few seconds Bo realized that it was someone's Chi. And, like a person dying of thirst, she sucked at it with a vengeance. Eventually she had the strength to open her eyes again.

Tamsin was in front of her. The Valkyrie's face and hands were covered in blood, and her hair was all messy. Bo briefly saw fear in those pale blue eyes, and saw it just as quickly disappear when the blonde realized her eyes were open. Tamsin didn't say anything, but rested her cheek against Bo's shoulder, with her arms around her so tight that Bo felt she might not be able to breathe.

" I'm Ok. I'm Ok!" Bo held her tight in her arms, " Tamsin, I'm Ok." Then her eyes fell on the body in the middle of the chamber. It was that man, and judging by the huge pool of blood under him, he was already dead. Dyson was crouching beside him, checking his pulse, and the wolf had a long bleeding wound on his lower abdomen.

" Dyson, are you Ok?" Bo asked him, worried.

" Just a scratch. No worries." Dyson reassured her calmly.

Bo was relieved. Then she felt the blonde's grip on her become tighter." Damn it, Bo." Tamsin whispered to the brunette, " Damn it. The second I'm not with you, here you are, in some fucking cave..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

" Hey, hey." Bo cupped her face, " I'm alright."

" Yeah, five seconds later and you would have been fucking dead." Tamsin shot her a cold stare.

" I guess Kenzi finally got through to your phones?" Bo put her arms around Tamsin's waist, looking at Dyson.

" Kenzi?" Dyson frowned, " I haven't even checked my phone yet. Did she call us?"

" Yeah, I told her to, but she said you weren't answering..." Bo frowned, " Wait, if you didn't get her call, how did you know I was here?"

" Why the fuck are you even here?" Tamsin asked, " You just couldn't wait to dive into some shit hole or something?"

" Well, I was following a lead on the Kitsune killer. Then I found Casey here-"

" Casey?" Dyson said, " She was here? Well that certainly explains the fox smell..."

" Yeah, I told her to run when the man attacked us. I think he's the Kitsune killer we've been looking for."

" What?!" Both Dyson and Tamsin exclaimed, " He's the Kitsune killer?"

" Yeah...I think so."

" Well, I think I'm gonna believe you on that, and call the CSU people." Dyson said, taking his phone out, then he realized that there was no signal. He shook his head, and said to Tamsin, " I'll handle this. Why don't you take Bo home and I'll let you two know if anything else comes up on the case?"

" Ok." Tamsin nodded. Then she pulled Bo up. " Come on, succulette, let's go home." She said, holding Bo's hand in hers.


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

" And you just had to go without me!" Tamsin yelled at Bo as she threw a towel to the brunette, after they both got out from shower.

" What else was I supposed to do? I couldn't get ahold of you." Bo said, drying her hair, " I thought it must be some intense situation you were in or something. How the hell was I supposed to know that the murderer planned all this?"

" Why didn't you just wait for me to get home?" Tamsin said, staring at Bo. Her blonde hair was still dripping water.

" Well, who knew when you were going to be back? What if Casey died before that?"

" God..." Tamsin murmured, taking Bo into her arms to hold her to her chest. She sighed, because she knew what Bo had said was true, and she couldn't argue with that.

" Damn you fucking..."

" Just relax, I'm fine." Bo said, giving the blonde a kiss to reassure her that everything was fine.

" Well you weren't so _fine_, when that fucking asshole sucked the shit out of you." Tamsin said, checking the bite wound on Bo's neck. It was gone already, but she just had a hard time shaking the horrifying view of it out of her mind.

" Yeah, speaking of which, what kinda Fae was he? A vampire?" Bo asked, wrapping the Valkyrie with a towel to dry her. She was still a little bit shaky, but those beautiful blue eyes of Tamsin's gave her all the comfort she needed right now.

" It was a Rabisu. They are like vampires. They normally hide in the shadow of a doorway in a house, to ambush it's victims. " Tamsin said, watching Bo as the brunette dried the water from her body.

" He can charm people, right?" Bo asked. She could still remember the powerless feeling she had when with him.

" It's more like a hypnotic gaze." Tamsin said, " That's how they subdue their prey normally."

She subconsciously checked Bo's neck again. " Do you feel Ok right now?"

" Yeah, other than the memory of my neck being sucked by some fucking murderer, totally." Bo said.

Tamsin huffed out a light laugh. She lowered her head and laid a kiss on Bo's neck, then she put her arms around Bo's waist and pulled her closer. " Better now?"

" Well, I would feel even better if you..." Bo whispered to Tamsin's ears, her eyes turning bright blue.

" Not that I'm against that idea, but..." Tamsin said, " Let's sort this shit out first, succubus moves later, Ok?"

" Ok. But can we at least go lie down on my bed, instead of standing in the bathroom, naked, with no hot water?"

Bo tucked herself closer to the blonde, burying them both under the soft, warm blanket. But what was warmer, was the Valkyrie, who held her tight.

" How did you find me anyway?"

" Well, we tried to contact you, but couldn't. Dyson traced your cell, and we went to the wood. Then the police dog named Dyson followed your scent." Tamsin said.

" No." Bo said, " I mean, why did you look for me in the first place? How did you know that I was in danger?"

" Well, I've known you long enough to know that you are always in danger." Tamsin said, " And...I had this feeling, like a panic attack or something. Couldn't breathe, couldn't stay on my feet, all that kinda shit..."

" So you _felt _that I was in danger."

" I guess you could say that." Tamsin said, " And thank God I fucking followed my instinct."

Bo ran her index finger slowly on Tamsin's lips, her eyes following. " I guess it's a bond thing, that now you have a radar for me?"

" I guess it's the bond. I mean, what else could it be? At that time, I just knew." Tamsin said, nibbling Bo's fingertip gently.

" Funny..." Bo murmured.

" What?"

" When I was in that cave, that man said that he never believed the Valkyrie's bond could grant any more strength to someone. I guess we proved him wrong."

" Sucks to be him." Tamsin smirked, " Price to pay for underestimating the power of a Valkyrie's bond." She watched Bo laying a kiss on her palm. " So he's really the Kitsune killer?"

" Yes. He admitted to me. And everything matched. The cylindrical Godness thing you heard from one of the victims. How he could have lured them to the woods. Why we didn't find any footprints of him." Bo said.

Tamsin laid a kiss on Bo's forehead, to comfort her. She knew the succubus was still a little bit shaky from what happened tonight. " I guess after the tech team confirms that he's the killer, we can finally close this case. Also, you can finally get your answer."

" Huh?" Bo raised her eyebrows. She was too preoccupied by the soft, smooth skin of the blonde under her fingers to comprehend.

" The fox clan leader, Mei, said that once you find the killer, she would tell you the shit about the Chosen One."

" Oh yeah." Bo said. It was then she remembered that Mei promised to tell her a secret about that. " I guess I should call her now..." She murmured, but she didn't want to move. Not right now, not when being held by the blonde, in her own bed, after a rough night.

" We'll go visit her, after the case is officially closed, Ok?" Tamsin said to her.

Bo nodded. " You know..." She said, " That Rabisu, he also told me something else."

" What?"

" The same thing my father told me. Something about other candidates." Bo said, " He said something like he wanted to kill me, because he wanted to eliminate the competition. But what competition? What could possibly be the thing we are competing against each other for?"

" Damn...I shouldn't have killed him..." Tamsin said, " We could have had the info we wanted by now, if I hadn't... It's just..."

Bo felt the blonde's grip on her tighten. She smiled and caressed the Valkyrie's back lightly. "Shhhh..." She whispered to her, " I'm Ok. I'm fine."

" Having you as my bondmate, is like walking on fucking traps every day..." Tamsin shot Bo a stare, " You could have had both of us killed tonight..."

" Let me make it up to you then..." Bo said, kissing the blonde on her lips. With her hands sliding down to the back of the blonde's waist, she nibbled her bottom lip lightly, running her tongue on it.

" I said succubus moves later..." Tamsin murmured.

" But I'm hungry..." Bo whispered to her, cupping her breasts. The brunette wrapped one of her arms around Tamsin's waist and pulled the Valkyrie closer. She lowered her head, kissing the blonde on her chest.

" Really?" Tamsin grabbed Bo's wandering hands and rolled on top of her, " Then who did I feed in the shower ten minutes ago?"

" That was my appetizer. " Bo said, " Now I'm gonna have my entree, and later..." She said as she raised herself to give the blonde another kiss, " ...my dessert."

* * *

" Yo, D-man." Kenzi waved to the wolf when she saw him walking into the Dal. She frowned when she noticed that Dyson was holding something in his arms. It was something furry, with pointy ears.

" Since when do you have pets?" Kenzi asked, staring at the thing. For some reason, she thought she may have seen it somewhere before.

" No, she's not a pet." Dyson said, " Meet your old friend, Casey."

" This is Casey? Casey Casey? The Kitsune bitch?" Kenzi exclaimed, standing up from the chair. It was then she realized that the animal was a fox, only smaller than the regular ones. She poked her lightly, and the thing was too busy purring to react to it.

" Yep. Here." Dyson handed the animal to her. Kenzi let her rest on her lap. Casey covered her ears with her fluffy tail and started to nap. Kenzi pet her gently with her hand, and the fox curled up like a ball of fur.

" What happened to her?"

" She was with the Kitsune killer, and she ran away. I found her hiding in bushes not too far away from the cave where we found the killer. She was all shaking and weeping, probably too scared to change back to her human form."

" So you guys caught the killer?" Kenzi said, moving towards Dyson. The fox let out a low, impatient growl, as if she didn't want to be moved.

" Well...more like, Tamsin killed the killer." Dyson said.

" Weren't you guys supposed to arrest him or something?" Kenzi asked, frowning.

" Yes, but when we got there, he had almost killed Bo. We had to do whatever we could to save her." Dyson said. Then he realized that he was scaring Kenzi, so he added, " She's totally fine now. She's with Tamsin."

" So...those two are like...for real?" Kenzi asked. Even seeing how close Bo and Tamsin had gotten, and how lovey-dovey they were now, she still sometimes found it hard to believe that they were together.

" I'd say pretty real." Dyson said, " You should see how she killed that man. I wouldn't want to piss her off, period."

" Yeah, neither would I." Kenzi murmured.

Dyson finished his beer and stood up. " Ok. I need to get back to work now. Can you take care of the fox for me for a while?"

" Yeah, sure, whateves. Fox bitches always come to mama Kenzi..." Kenzi said as she watched Dyson leave. Then she lowered her head and looked at Casey, who now was nothing but a fluffy ball on her lap. The fox gently scratched her hand with her front paw.

" I'm starting to think you look a lot cuter as a fox..." Kenzi murmured. She knew Bo and Tamsin were probably still at home doing it, and she didn't want to be the one who sat downstairs, wondering when and how the ceiling was going to come down, so she decided to stay in the Dal for a little longer.

" How's Bo doing?" Trick asked her as he polished the glasses.

Kenzi swallowed her drink, weighing in her heart about whether or not to tell Trick about what happened. Eventually she decided to tell him.

" She's fine. She just went to track down the Kitsune killer."

" She did what?!" Trick exclaimed, with his eyes wide open. That was exactly what Kenzi had anticipated.

" Relax, gramps!" Kenzi said, frowning, " Bo-bo's perfy. Tamsin's with her, and I'm sure she's taking really good care of her, if you know what I mean."

" I'm afraid that I'll have to stop you right here." Trick said, " So did she find the killer?"

" Yeah, of course." Kenzi said.

" Oh, Ok, I guess I'll ask Dyson about the details later.." Tricked nodded. Then he frowned at the fox, who was lying in Kenzi's left arm, " You do know that is a Fae, not a fox, right? If you bought it from some pet store, I-"

" Yeah, I know, it's Casey." Kenzi interrupted him.

" Casey? Why did she change to her true form? Kitsunes only change to their true forms when extremely terrified or in a rage..."

" She was with the killer earlier. Scared her pants off probably." Kenzi said, " Poor foxy."

" Ah..." Trick accepted Kenzi's answer, with some doubts, but he had other customers to attend, so he left Kenzi alone.

After a few drinks, Kenzi decided to go home. Holding the fox in her arms, she walked out the back door.

The alley was empty, with the street lamps it didn't look as gloomy as it could have been at this time of the night. Kenzi was humming some sort of Russian song as she patted the fox in her arms. Then suddenly, she stopped. A weird feeling overcame her, like she was being followed. It felt like someone was staring at her from behind, and the stare was giving her the willies.

" Nothing creepy. Nothing creepy." Kenzi turned around, mumbling. Other than her shadow, she didn't see anything. She frowned and turned around, starting to walk again, but after a few minutes, she stopped again. She could swear she had heard something, and she could still feel someone staring at her.

" Yo, perv. Show yourself before I ninja kick you." Kenzi yelled. She slowly approached the dumpster, thinking maybe someone was hiding behind it, but she saw nothing. Although a little bit scared, she looked around, trying to figure out who, or what, was watching her.

Then she noticed something. It was a bird, perched on one of the power lines. Its light amber eyes were glittering in the dark. For some reason, it creeped Kenzi out. The way the bird looked at her, like he was looking at his prey.

" Weird bird..." Kenzi murmured. She held the fox tight in her arms and started to run. She could hear her high heels tapping on the pavement. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so afraid, but she knew she had to get out of there.

The dark alley seemed so long today, that Kenzi felt like she would never get out. She took her phone out and tried to call Bo or Dyson, but she couldn't even dial because of her shaking hand. " Damn it! I knew I should have set up my voice dialing shit..." She cursed. When she was about to press dial, a low, vague growl came from behind, like some sort of large animal. It startled her, and she dropped her phone. It fell on the ground and slid under the dumpster.

" Ahhhh!" Kenzi exclaimed, letting go of the fox, trying to grab her phone. She reached her arm under the dumpster, searching for it, but she just couldn't find it. Her mind was so filled with fear that she couldn't think straight. She saw the fox cowering and shivering right in front of her.

" Go, girl! Run! What are you looking at right now?!" The petite Russian girl lowered her voice.

But the fox didn't move. She was too scared to run away, or do anything. She was just frozen there, staring at something right behind Kenzi.

It was then that Kenzi noticed the huge shadow that was cast over her. Something tall, big, and alive, was behind her. She could hear it breathing, swallowing, and mumbling. Horror seized her heart, and she couldn't breathe. For a moment, she just froze there, wondering if she should turn back and see what it was, or just forget about it and maybe that thing would go away.

Eventually Kenzi turned back. She saw a dark silhouette, with two big, pointy things on its head. They looked like horns, or antlers of some kind. Kenzi was having a hard time telling whether it was an animal, or a human. It smelled like an animal, and sounded like one too, but it did have arms and legs, or at least those parts of the silhouette looked like such. One thing that Kenzi was sure of, was those bloody red eyes definitely didn't belong to human or Fae, at least not someone harmless.

Kenzi was too scared to run away, or even scream. She watched in horror as the thing grabbed her, and then it knocked her out. Her vague moans were drowned out by the night wind.

* * *

Bo chuckled when she ran her finger on the flushed skin of the Valkyrie. " I guess you enjoyed that, detective..." She whispered to her.

" If you are referring to the begging I heard, oh yes." Tamsin smirked at her, " I definitely enjoyed that, succulette."

Bo was about to say something, but the ringing of her cell phone interrupted her.

" Five bucks says it's the annoying wolf." Tamsin said, lying on her stomach and resting her chin on her hand.

" One day I'm so gonna kill him..." Bo murmured. She let the blond roll on top of her when she answered the call. " Dyson, I'm fine. I'm really fine. If that's what you want to know..."

" That's not why I called, but glad to know you're fine." Dyson said, " Just thought you two may want to know, the tech team matched the DNA of that Rabisu with some blood we found in the crime scene where Hailey and Amy were held as prisoners. And I'm sure when Casey changes back to her human form, she will be our eye witness too."

" What do you mean by when she changes back?" Bo asked, " What form is she in right now?"

" Her true form, as a fox." Dyson said, " You haven't seen her?" He sounded surprised.

" No, I haven't. Why?"

" Nothing. I thought Kenzi and the fox would have been home by now."

" Oh, no I haven't seen her since I took off to find Casey. Maybe she's in the Dal or something."

" No. I'm in the bar right now, and she's not here anymore."

" She's not home..." Bo said, " Have you called her?"

" Yes, I called her a few times, but she's not answering her phone." Dyson could tell that Bo sounded worried. " You think something's up?" He asked.

" I don't know...but after the Inari, and the serial killer thing, she doesn't usually..." Bo said as she checked the time, "...stay out till this time of the night..."

" Hmmm..." Dyson hummed. He thought they might just be too over sensitive, but a small part of his heart was telling him that something might have gone wrong with the girl.

" I think we should look for her." Bo said, " Could you ask around, see if anyone knows when she left the Dal, or where she might have gone to?"

" Yeah, of course. Better safe than sorry, right?" Dyson said, " I'll ask around."

" And we are coming to you right now." Was the last thing Bo said before she hung up the phone. She pulled two t-shirts and two pair of pants out from her closet, and threw one set to Tamsin.

" Your pet's in trouble again?" Tamsin asked when she started to get dressed.

" Let's hope not." Bo said, dialing Kenzi's phone, but no one answered.

" Want me to trace her phone?"

" Yeah." Bo said," And now I'm starting to get nervous...After the Inari thing, we have this agreement, that she always keeps her phone with her..."

" Maybe she's just somewhere very loud and noisy..." Tamsin said.

" I hope so." Bo said, " I don't want to deal with the whole Inari situation again."

" Me neither." Tamsin smirked, " Dragging you around in the woods again? I don't think so."

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are the best! Being super busy lately because of all the school work and stuff, hopefully I can update this story more often later.**


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

"Dyson!" Bo called to the wolf as she rushed through the entrance of the Dal.

"I went to a few bars that Kenzi sometime goes to, besides here, and didn't see her."

"She's definitely not here," Dyson shook his head. He raised his hand and nodded at Tamsin, when he saw the blonde walking in right behind Bo.

"Anyone here see her leave or anything? Maybe she left with someone?" Bo asked.

"Most of them are too drunk to talk," Dyson said pointing at the tables that were still occupied right now. "And, Trick couldn't remember seeing her leave."

Bo looked around, trying to find someone that was still sober enough to make a conversation with. Then she noticed a girl who was sitting beside the bar. The young girl was cute, but dressed in a rather simple, almost shabby, outfit. A light grey cloak covered her upper body, with a scarf covering half of her face. The only decorative piece on her, was an large, unusual pendant. It was a gold piece on a silver chain, with pieces of gem stones on it, amber, colored glaze, and some that Bo couldn't name. Resting on the counter right in front of her was something that looked like a long, gold walking staff. At one end of the staff, it had three arcs arranged in a circle that surrounded what looked like a building of some sort. It also had 6 small rings attached to the arcs. It was something Bo had never seen before. But what bothered her was that the girl had a shot glass in her hand, and judging by the half empty bottle right next to her, Bo would say not only did she drink alcohol, she could also hold her liquor really well, but also that she looked like she was way under age.

"Since when does Trick serve alcohol to minors?" Bo whispered to Tamsin, although she knew it might just be the last thing she should be worrying about right now.

"Oh, sweetheart, she's not a minor," Tamsin said to Bo. "She's merely a living thing."

"She's undead?"

"No, she never lived." Tamsin said, "She's a Weapon Spirit."

"What is that?" Bo frowned.

"It means her true form is a weapon. An old, powerful piece, and after many years, the weapon gathers enough energy, and can turn into human form, in this case, her."

"So you mean she's a piece of metal, not a living Fae?"

"Well, I think Weapon Spirits are considered Fae, but I haven't seen one since..." Tamsin said hesitantly, "...hell I don't remember. Anyway, she's a piece of weapon."

"And what weapon might that be?" Bo wondered.

"I guess I'll go ask her if she has seen Kenzi, but how do I talk to a weapon?"

"Treat her like a normal customer in the Dal. If she touches you, scream, and I'll come to rescue you." Tamsin said her voice full of teasing. Bo rolled her eyes at her.

The Valkyrie chuckled and said, "And for your information, her true form is probably that Khakkhara in front of her."

"Khak...what? Is that a real name, or are you stuttering?"

Tamsin sighed, "God, you are such a baby Fae. It's Sanskrit for sounding staff, a.k.a monk staff. Look, do you really want a lesson on ancient weapons right now or are you gonna find your pet first?"

Bo nodded to Tamsin, and then approached the girl. She sat down beside her, and saw the girl glancing at her from the corner of her eye. But she didn't turn around; she just moved her eyes back to her shot glass.

"Excuse me… emmm… have you seen a girl, five two, dark hair, pale blue eyes..." Bo asked, staring at the girl. She wasn't looking at Bo, but Bo knew she had caught her attention. She felt weird talking to her, because when she got this close to her, she finally realized that although the young girl looked very much like a person, she had no living energy within her. Bo couldn't see any aura emanating from her. She was like a black hole in the room, not emitting anything.

"With a Kitsune in her arms?" The girl said calmly, putting her shot glass down.

"Yeah, yeah, so you've seen her?"

"Yes," the girl nodded. "She left."

"When?"

"About an hour ago."

"Was she with anyone when she left?"

"Just the Kitsune."

The girl poured herself another drink.

"Well-" Bo was about to say something, but was interrupted by the Valkyrie. Tamsin pulled her up from the chair and said, "Got her cell phone location. Looks like its located right in the back alley not far from the Dal's back door. Let's go."

"If she got too drunk, and is passed out there again, I'm gonna seriously kick her ass..." Bo said as she ran towards the back door. She forgot to thank the young girl, but it didn't bother the Weapon Spirit at all. She turned to the back door of the Dal, and watched Bo dash out, with Tamsin and Dyson following right behind her. Frowning a little, she tilted her head, blinking, as if she was trying to figure something out. Then she stood up, putting some gold coins on the counter. Pulling her scarf up to cover her hair and almost all of her face, she grabbed her staff and walked out of the bar. Before she left, she turned around and took a last glance at Bo, whispering, "She's quite different than I pictured, Master."

* * *

Running towards the back alley, Bo had her phone in her hand dialing Kenzi's number. She almost immediately heard Kenzi's ringing phone when she got outside. She followed the sound, and stopped right in front of a dumpster. She found Kenzi's phone under it, but the petite girl was nowhere to be seen. Bo had been trying to convince herself that Kenzi might just be too drunk to answer her phone, or that she was somewhere she couldn't hear the ringing, but now, finding her phone without her, Bo felt something heavy just dropped on her heart.

"You found something?" Dyson asked, running towards her.

"It's her phone..." Bo said, "Abandoned under the dumpster. Shit, now I'm really worried."

Dyson wanted to say something, but then his attention was drawn by something else. He looked around, sniffing the air.

"Something was here." He said, "Something that smells really bad, like it was living somewhere damp, with rotten corpses..."

"Oh, don't tell me it's a Manticore again..." Bo said, shaking her head.

"No, it's something else." Dyson said, as he crouched down and checked the pavement in the alley, looking for possible trails left by the thing. He didn't see any footprints, but he noticed something right beside the dumpster. There was paper scattered all around the dumpster that had fallen from someone carelessly throwing their trash away. On one of them, there appeared to be a weird print.

"What is that?" Bo asked, after taking a close look at it. To her it looked nothing like someone's footprint.

"Looks like a hoof print..." Dyson said, holding the paper close to his nose, " It's fresh, and belongs to whoever, or whatever, that was here."

"So that thing left this print..." Bo said, "A horse?"

"If a horse could have left such big hoof print, I would considered it a monster horse." Dyson shook his head, "I'll take it to the tech team, and see what they can find out."

"Whatever it is, did that thing take Kenzi?" Bo asked.

"I can't tell. This smell is too strong; I can't pick up her scent." Dyson said, as he walked away from the dumpster location and tried to pick up Kenzi's scent, but he failed. He shook his head and came back to Bo, sighing.

"Hey, guys." Tamsin's voice came from the lamp pole not too far away from them, "Check this out."

Bo ran to her, Dyson followed. Tamsin pointed out something on the ground to them. It was a piece of feather, covered by the shadow of the lamp pole, almost invisible.

"Damn, the feather again. Is it just me, or does it look like those Dyson found at my place after the break in, and on that dead body in the warehouse?" Bo said, looking at Tamsin.

"Can't tell the difference." Tamsin said, bagging the feather, "I guess some Mediterranean owl has had a visit." She raised her head and turned to Dyson, "What do you say, partner? Put your wolf nose to some use and trace wherever that thing went? If he took that annoying human girl, we find him, we find her."

Dyson nodded. He was about to take off, before they all heard something moving behind the dumpster. Bo immediately pulled her dagger out. Both Dyson and Tamsin pulled their guns out. Bo approached the dumpster slowly from one end, Tamsin covering the other side. They pushed the dumpster away at the same time, and were shocked to see a fox was shivering there.

"Casey." Tamsin said, putting her gun back. The fox threw herself to her, wrapping her front paws around Tamsin's shin.

"That's Casey?!" Bo exclaimed.

"Yep." Tamsin said, "When Kitsunes are in extreme emotional states, they sometimes can't turn back to their human form for a while. Younger ones have a harder time controlling that transformation too."

She grabbed the back of the fox's neck, and lifted her up. "Well, I guess we'll get this bitch home, and you can go full succubabe so she can talk."

* * *

After a long time of persuasion, talking, and thirty minutes of Bo's charms, Casey was finally able to turn back to her human form. The poor girl sat on the couch, covered in a blanket, with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand, and she was still shaking. At first she couldn't get a single sentence out about Kenzi. She kept mumbling about the Kitsune killer. How he approached her in the Dal. How she found him charming and funny. How he lured her to the woods and attacked her. Bo and Tamsin had to reassure her that the guy was dead, just to calm her down. Eventually some alcohol added to the hot chocolate did the trick, and Casey was finally able to talk about what she had seen when she was with Kenzi.

"He...he...he took her..." She said, and almost spilled her drink when she said he.

"Who?" Bo tried hard not to sound like she was panicking, but she knew she was. She had this little hope that maybe Kenzi just wandered somewhere else, but now, that hope was crushed. Bo laid her hand on Casey's arm, sending out her charm.

"Who took Kenzi?" She asked.

Casey shook her head, "I don't know. I don't know...there's this...this thing."

"Did you get a good look at him? Or it?" Tamsin asked, "Casey, I need you to focus."

"No," Casey shook her head, " I was...just too scared. It was something big, bulky, and... and scary. It had these red eyes..."

"But, you are sure that thing took Kenzi."

Casey nodded like crazy. She started to cry, and Bo had to comfort her by sending her a lot of charm.

"And... there was this... bird... but... creepy." Casey said, "It kept staring at us."

"A bird?" Bo frowned. She took a glance at Tamsin, and the Valkyrie was looking at her too. From the look on the blonde's face, Bo knew they were thinking the same thing, the feather they found at the three locations, which according to the tech team, belonged to some sort of owl that only inhabits the Mediterranean region.

"Was it an owl?" Bo asked.

"I don't know... but it could have been. It had these glittering eyes..."

"Was there anyone else? Anyone or anything? Anyone pass by?" Tamsin asked.

"I don't know. I don't think so..." Casey said.

"Anything else you can remember?"

Casey shook her head, and downed her chocolate. "Where's Amanda? Can you guys call her and ask her to come here?"

"Sure." Bo said. She knew Casey had probably told them everything she could remember, even if she knew something else, she was probably too scared to talk about it right now. She called the other Kitsune, and twenty minutes later, Amanda ran in with tears on her face. The two girls hugged each other and cried on Bo's couch.

"Alright, let's call Dyson, and see if he found out anything." Tamsin said to Bo. She took out her phone, but before she could call anyone, it rang.

"Was just about to call you, Wolfboy." Tamsin said, "Any good news?"

"I am afraid not." Dyson said, "I traced the scent, and it suddenly disappeared about ten miles away from the Dal, like that thing just vanished in the air. I couldn't smell Kenzi anywhere either. The tech teams are requesting those camera feeds along the trail, but it could take quite some time before they actually find anything."

Tamsin bit her bottom lip, and then she said, "Give me the location where you last smelled that thing's scent. I'll take the succubus with me, and see if we can find anything useful."

"Ok, but don't get your hopes up too high." Dyson said, "I've already canvassed the area, and found nothing."

"Well, how about you come babysit, and we'll go find the little Russian." Tamsin said.


End file.
